


The Watchers: Iron Man

by TheEtherealLord



Series: The Watchers [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Not Quite Canon Origins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:07:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 69,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29021712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEtherealLord/pseuds/TheEtherealLord
Summary: "Did someone rip the universe a new butthole and put us on the receiving end!"You really can't blame Wally for asking that. As if stumbling onto a box of Death Battle DVDs wasn't enough, now the cast of Young Justice have to watch through a huge, 22 movie-boxset! Time to crack open the popcorn and snuggle with bae cause it's movie night! *First of The Watchers: MCU series*
Series: The Watchers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2129082
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a spiritual successor to Firestorm808’s fic, 'Young Justice Watches Death Battle' over on FFN. The prologue connects to that but you won’t miss much -if anything at all in the main fic- if you don’t read that first.
> 
> Also: to anyone from FFN: yes. this is, in fact, the same Ethereal Lord.

**_ **The Watchers** _ **

**_ _ **

**_ **Prologue** _ **

**_ _ **

For the first time in a long while, the Mountain was absolutely silent.

_Great Hera!_ **_**That** _ ** _is the potential might of this modest man?!_

_Holy shit! Supes could kill any one of us before we could_ **_**blink** _ ** _!_

_I’ve always known that his powers dwarf whatever we could imagine but… to this extent?! Could anyone even stop him were he to go rogue?!_

Awe, terror and dread filled the mind of its inhabitants as they struggled to process all that they had just watched, none more so than the very subject of their thoughts.

Because, for the Last Son of Krypton, that ‘Death Battle’ hit a little too close to home.

‘ _I’ve always known I was powerful but… that was…_ ’ Staring at his hands, Clark noticed that they were shaking uncontrollably. ‘ _I could destroy the world if I ever lost control. Metropolis… The League… Lois_ ’

“You know that’s not you, right?”

The Man of Tomorrow’s dark thoughts were broken by the confident voice of… what was Conner to him anyway? A son? A brother? He wasn’t sure and, in his unbalanced state, he remained silent.

Conner, seeing that his progenitor was still deeply bothered by all he had just seen, glanced around the room before taking a seat beside him. He knew that Batman, Green Arrow and the Martian Manhunter had all left with their respective charges while Black Canary and Wonder Woman spoke to the Wally, Zatanna and Kaldur so he had all the time to speak to his role model. “Superman?” The man said nothing, clearly bothered by what he had just seen and so Conner tried again: “That wasn’t you, Superman.”

When Clark finally found his voice, it was scratchy and hoarse. “How do you know that?”

“You heard what Doctor Fate said; it’s from another universe. We already saw Batman fight with the intent to kill an opponent, something both Bruce and Robin have assured us will _never_ happen.”

“But it’s possible, isn’t it?” Clark asked, his voice clearly displaying how deeply he was affected by the last Death Battle they had witnessed. “I could lose control and destroy everything around me. I have the potential to do so.”

“But you won’t.” Conner reiterated quietly. “Because, even when I lost my memories in Bialya, when I was running on pure instinct… I never tried to kill.” For all the therapy he had gone through with Canary, Conner still considered that mission one of the lowest points of his young life. “I… I lashed out at Wally and tried to hurt Artemis and I destroyed those tanks and hurt the soldiers but… I never tried to kill them. And… I think that was because of you.”

“Superboy is right.” Both men looked up to see the rest of the Team and their mentors standing before them, Wonder Woman leading the charge. “You are a good person, Clark. You are honest, modest and you see the good in others.”

“The Princess is right, you know?” Canary continued. “Sure, that Death Battle thing showed us a Superman without his personality limitation on but that’s the whole point of that show.”

“Besides,” Green Arrow piped with an easy grin on his features, “I’m more inclined to think of a killer Batman that a killer you.”

The statement, though frowned upon by a select few in the room, still brought smiles to many present.

In the end, though, it was the Bat himself that ended the conversation. “You know I’m not one to trust easily Clark. So it says something about you when even I find it difficult to believe that you would ever become what was depicted on that show.”

Sensing that the heavy moment had passed, Wally saw an opportunity of a lifetime and swiftly capitalized on it: “Group hug!”

And just to ensure that it happened, he blitzed around the couch, pushing everyone together until they dogpiled the two kryptonians.

“Wally! When I get out of here I’ll kill you!” Artemis swore from her uncomfortable position between Kaldur and Oliver.

“Love you too babe!” Her unrepentant boyfriend called out as he grabbed his phone to take a quick picture of the group. He wouldn’t be in it, unfortunately, but the chance to have Batman and Superman hugging it out at the bottom of a dogpile recorded was worth the sacrifice in his mind.

**_ **TW: MCU** _ **

**_ _ **

“I can’t believe all that just happened!” Zatanna laughed as she enjoyed a nice, late night walk with her boyfriend. “And poor Wally! Conner and Dinah are using him as a training dummy!”

“I don’t see what he has to complain about.” Dick snarked, slightly annoyed by his best friend’s prank. “He should have made his getaway before Wonder Woman grabbed him. He just chose to stay there and gloat about it.”

“You sound annoyed.”

“I am!” He pouted. “I got a crick from M’gann and Canary pressing into on my back during his little stunt!”

Time seemed to grind to a halt as Zatanna froze, her head cocking to the side as an innocent smile stretched her lips in a ghastly manner. “They were pressing into your back, you say?”

For some reason, Dick didn’t notice the dark glint in his girlfriend’s eyes and forged on guilelessly. “Yeah. Mostly it was their arms but I think M’gann’s… upper body touched mine for a second while we were getting untangled.”

Thunder rumbled in the distant horizon and, inside the Mountain, a certain Martian had visions of fire and brimstone… “Oh… and did you _like it_ when her… _upper body_ touched _what’s_ ** _ **mine!**_** \- I mean, when it touched your back?”

“Ergh! No!” Dick’s denial was vehement, earnest in its honesty and purity. “She’s Conner’s girlfriend!”

“Oh.”

“Besides…” He glanced at her a tad shyly. “I only care about your, um… your _touch_ …”

“Oh!” The night brightened considerably as the sun shone brightly and rainbows spontaneously cisscrossed the sky (don’t ask) as Zatanna’s features glowed happily. The ecstatic young girl was swift to grab her boyfriend in a tight hug that nestled his head smack-dab between her… ahem, _upper body_ as she spun about in delight. “I’m so lucky to have such a devoted boyfriend!”

So overjoyed was she that she never noticed the box until it was too late, her foot colliding with it and sending them sprawling onto the sands.

The sun and rainbows disappeared in an instant and the night time setting reasserted itself with a vengeance.

“Ow…” She groaned as she pushed herself up. “Dick? What happened?”

Her genius boyfriend’s ‘intelligent’ response was a series of garbled phrases that had absolutely no connection to any languages known to life.

“Dick?” She glanced down only to blush explosively.

Their fall had -somehow- left them in a scandalous position that had shorted his brains out (and no, we’re not telling you which one it was!).

A few minutes -and plenty of awkward stares and blushes- later, the teens were up and wondering what had caused them to trip.

“It felt like a box of some kind.” Zatanna stated as she moved her hand about, the ball of cold light over her palm illuminating the beach. “Who’d leave a box out here?”

“Maybe it washed up from the sea?” Dick suggested before catching a glimpse of something. “Wait! I think I’ve found- Oh you have got to be kidding me.”

“What is it?”

He gestured helplessly at the box on the ground.

It was, as Zatanna had described, a box. It was black in color and bore a huge graphic of a gem-studded gauntlet and printed above said gauntlet in stylized font were three words:

_The Infinity Saga_

“It’s a boxset.” Dick explained warily. “It’s basically a compendium of movies that exist within a shared universe.”

“Like _Star Wars_?” She asked, having been educated to the glory of George Lucas’ art by her boyfriend. When he nodded, she continued, “So this box contains movies in a shared universe… the _Marvel_ universe?” She suggested upon seeing the red logo on the box.

“Likely.”

“Oh. So why do you seem so wary of it?”

“Because, Zee, to my knowledge, there is no _Marvel_ shared movie universe on our world. Heck, there’s no _Marvel_ universe period.”

Comprehension dawned on her. “You think… you think it’s like that _Death Battle_ box Artemis and Wally found?”

Dick could only shrug.


	2. Billionaire Playboy/Rich Asshole

“So… we got a boxset this time.” Wally stated as he stared at the well-designed box on the table. The innocuous looking object was the focus of everyone present in the Mountain: the Team, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Black Canary and Green Arrow. “First a series of DVDs about fictional battles between fighters from across the multiverse and now… a boxset?”

“It does seem somewhat strange, these occurrences.” Kaldur observed, prompting a snort from Artemis.

“More like flat out improbable. What, did someone rip the multiverse a new butthole and put us on the receiving end?”

“It’s not entirely impossible…” Oliver murmured, nudging his protege after her comment. “So… I’m guessing the question now is whether we watch it or not right?”

“Not on your life, Queen.” Batman snarled. “The first one may have slipped past us but this time we have a responsibility to-”

“Oh please!” Dinah interrupted with an eyeroll, much to the silent joy of the Team, most of whom had despaired as soon as the Dark Knight began. “We don’t have a responsibility to do squat. Just like the first time, members of the Team found it, not members of the League.”

“Dinah… I’m not sure Bruce is wrong.” Superman began hesitantly. “I mean, we saw what those Death Battles were like and-”

“If anything, those only helped clarify things Clark.” Diana said. In the background, Batman facepalmed, knowing that the Kryptonian had essentially gift-wrapped them the perfect argument. “We have a better understanding of Bruce and yourself and Dinah have forced him to come to terms with aspects of himself that he would rather have kept hidden.”

“Well, it’s getting late so I think this discussion should be tabled for later.” Bruce stated, trying a final attempt but knowing that it would fail. “They have their curfews to meet up to.”

The synchronized way everyone turned to stare at him had him throwing his hands up in defeat.

“It’s barely eight.” Dinah stated, taking charge of the situation as she moved toward the box. “If we watch a movie now, we’ll likely be through before ten so you’ll have a few minutes to get home.”

“Works for me!” Wally stated excitedly as he bounded forward to peer into the now-open box. “Now, which one to see first.”

“Oh! I’ll go get the popcorn!”

“I think there’s a set order to that.” Dick said as he pointed to the note attached to the top of the box.

Dinah reached out to it and read through its contents before pulling out a disc case. “We’ll be watching this one first.”

“Iron Man.” Conner read, eyeing the badass looking suit on the cover. “At least it won’t be a sappy romance.”

“I’ll have you know that I enjoy the occasional sappy romance.” Clark said with a smile as they took their seats; himself, Diana and Bruce share one sofa while Dinah and Oliver shared the other and the kids were spaced out either on beanbags -Dick and Zatanna cozily shared one while Kaldur took the other- sharing a couch -as in Wally and Artemis- or just sprawled out on the floor, using Wolf as a headrest. A few moments later, M’gann flew in, sharing large bowls of popcorn and other refreshments before curling up beside her boyfriend. “Alright Dinah. Please do the honors.”

The blonde heroine nodded and pressed the play button.

**_**TW:MCU** _ **

**_**It began in a desolate landscape, a desert with snowy mountains in the distance.** _ ** **_**A location tag identified the place as the Kunar Province, Afghanistan.** _ ** **__ ** **_**A** _ ** **_**line of armored vehicles were racing across the d** _ ** **_**esert** _ ** **_**, leaving trails of** _ ** **_**dust** _ ** **_**behind** _ ** **__ ** **_**them. Suddenly, music blasted through the speakers. An army jeep crawled along the dirt trail** _ ** **__ ** **_**as AC/DC’s Black n’ Black played.** _ **

“Is that… holy-! That’s _Black ‘n’ Black!_ ” Wally asked excitedly. “Wait, so this universe has AC/DC?!”

“Seems like it.” Dick replied, nodding along to the pulsating beat. “I wonder if some songs could be multiversal-constants?”

“Beyonce would be one of them.” Artemis stated definitively, drawing stares from every one in the room. “What? The woman’s that good!”

“I’m hoping for Linkin Park myself.” Dinah added, leading everyone to suggest artists they’d love to listen to regardless of their location in the multiverse. While this went on, the movie kept rolling.

 **_**The inside of one of the jeeps was shown, a silver boom box was at the feet of some** _ ** **__ ** **_**soldiers** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**O** _ ** **_**ne of them** _ ** **_**was clearly** _ ** **_**smirking at** _ ** **_**the incongruously positioned object** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**while another, a younger man, looked on nervously in the backdrop of a** _ ** **_**hand holding a glass of scotch** _ ** **_**, the golden liquid swaying in time with the truck’s motion.** _ ** **__ **

**_**A cocky looking man** _ ** **_**was** _ ** **_**s** _ ** **_**hown** _ ** **_**to be the one holding the glass** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**his slim frame carrying** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**n elegant** _ ** **_**suit** _ ** **_**with** _ ** **_**stylish sunglasses** _ ** **_**covering his eyes** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**His features had a rugged sort of handsomeness to them and his hair was ruffled in just the right way to make it look sexy.** _ **

Artemis whistled, a reaction that amused the older women present and -to a lesser extent- Zatanna. “No offense, Baywatch, but you’re lucky that guy’s not on this Team.”

The comment had the redhead sputtering indignantly as everyone else laughed at his expense.

 **_**Mr. Spiffy Suit’s** _ ** **_**eyes met** _ ** **__ ** **_**the young soldier's, causing** _ ** **_**the uniformed man** _ ** **_**to look away once more.** _ ** **_**“I** _ ** **_**feel like you're driving me to a** _ ** **__ ** **_**court-martial. This is crazy. What did I do?** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **_**The soldier simply stared ahead. "I feel** _ ** **__ ** **_**like you're going to pull over and snuff me. What, you're not allowed to talk? Hey, Forrest!** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ **

“Wow… he’s even got the cocky confidence thing down pat.” Zatanna commented. “Anybody else getting ‘rich, bad boy’ vibes from this guy?”

“More rich playboy.” Dinah stated. “Ollie had a similar thing going on way back when.”

**_**"We can talk, sir." The soldier behind him assured him.** _ **

**_**"Oh, I see. So it's personal?"** _ **

**_**"No, you intimidate them." The female soldier driving the vehicle explained.** _ **

**_**"Good God, you're a woman. I honestly... I couldn't have called that. I mean, I'd apologize, but** _ ** **__ ** **_**isn't that what we're going for here? I thought of you as a soldier first."** _ ** **_**He** _ ** **_**stammered** _ ** **_**apologetically.** _ **

“I… honestly can’t blame him for that.” Oliver shook his head mirthfully. “If anybody had asked me, I’d have said they had a sausage party going on there.” Though his comment brought an explosive blush to Artemis and Clark’s faces, the Emerald Archer knew he had messed up when he felt a sharp digging pain in his foot, a pain that only grew worse when Conner innocently asked: “What’s a sausage party?”

“Someone’ll tell you about it later.” Dinah practically growled the words out through gritted teeth. “Until then, let’s focus on the movie.”

 **_**The young soldier lightly chuckled at** _ ** **_**her passenger’s efforts to walk back his earlier comments** _ ** **_**. "I'm an airman."** _ ** **_**She** _ ** **__ ** **_**clarifi** _ ** **_**ed.** _ **

**_**"You have, actually, excellent bone structure, there. I'm kind of having a hard time not looking at** _ ** **__ ** **_**you now. Is that weird?"** _ **

“Yup, definitely a playboy.” Dick sighed, having observed his mentor display somewhat similar habits while on his playboy routine.

 **_**The Soldiers in the vehicle laughed and chuckled. "Come** _ ** **__ ** **_**on, it's okay, laugh."** _ **

**_**"Sir, I have a question to ask." The soldier riding shotgun requested.** _ **

**_**"Yes, please."** _ **

**_**"Is it true you went 12 for 12 with last year's Maxim cover models?" The soldier asked.** _ **

**_**"That is an excellent question.** _ ** **_**” He slipped the glasses off, revealing dark eyes.** _ ** **__ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**Yes and no. March and I had a scheduling conflict, but** _ ** **__ ** **_**fortunately, the Christmas cover was twins."** _ **

Even Bruce couldn’t hide his surprise upon hearing that, though it was more of a simple twitch of the eyebrows than anything overly expressive.

Oliver, after all, was expressive enough for them both. “He went twelve for twelve?! Holy… what is he, God’s gift to women?”

“Jealous?” Artemis asked with a hint of snark.

“Of course I’m jealous!” He admitted shamelessly. “I love Dinah but being the face of a tabloid like Maxim for a whole year is a record in and of itself! It’s like the ultimate declaration of a guy’s sexy badassery!”

“No wonder you couldn’t make it.” Artemis smirked. “The models must have determined that you’re the opposite of ‘sexy badassery’ and voted you off the list.”

The comment stung but Oliver was nothing if not quick on his feet. “So… Bruce and I don’t qualify then.”

“At least I lasted longer in the running than you did.” The Dark Knight fired back instantly, taking the wind out of the Emerald Archer’s sails.

 **_**“** _ ** **_**Anything else?** _ ** **_**”** _ **

**_**The** _ ** **_**s** _ ** **_**oldier next to him** _ ** **_**shyly** _ ** **_**raised his hand** _ ** **_**, prompting an eyeroll from the glasses-wearing man** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"You're kidding me with the hand up, right?"** _ **

**_**"Is it cool if I take a picture with you?" The young soldier asked.** _ **

**_**"Yes. It's very cool." T** _ ** **_**he man complied** _ ** **_**. Jimmy pulled his camera out and handed it to the soldier in** _ ** **__ ** **_**the front seat. "I don't want to see this on your MySpace page." Tony warned him.** _ **

“What’s MySpace?” Zatanna asked curiously.

“I’m thinking it might be a social media platform.” Dick answered as he quickly looked up something on his phone. “Huh. We might actually have had it if Belinda Zito hadn’t absorbed it into her company.”

“Wait, so _Chatterbox_ absorbed this MySpace thing?” Wally asked, much to the irritation of Conner who was interested in the movie.

“Guys? Discussion later, movie now.”

 **_**The Soldier put up a peace sign for the photo. "Please, no gang signs."** _ ** **_**The nervy guy put his hand down only to have the bespectacled man wave dismissively** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"No, throw it up. I'm kidding. Yeah, peace. I love peace. I'd be out** _ ** **__ ** **_**of a job with peace."** _ **

“So… he’s a playboy with a sharp wit.” Artemis slanted a look at her mentor. “Sounds like a richer, more handsome you, old man.”

“Hey! There’s nothing to show that he’s richer!”

“So you don’t deny that he’s more handsome?” Dinah needled, piling on to the indignation he was feeling.

Bruce, on the other hand, had narrowed his eyes in thought.

“Penny for your thoughts, Bruce?”

“Something about his last comment, Diana.” The Dark Knight muttered. “The way he said it…”

 **_**"Come on. Hurry up. Just click it. Don't change any settings." Jimmy** _ ** **_**said, prodding at his fellow soldier to hurry up** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**Just a** _ ** **_**s the picture was about to be taken,** _ ** **_**though,** _ ** **_**something** _ ** **_**struck the vehicle ahead of their, triggering a huge explosion that jostled theirs.** _ ** **__ ** **_**The driver immediately brought their vehicle to a halt as the soldiers prepared for a fight, g** _ ** **_**unshots** _ ** **_**ringing all around them** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“An ambush.” Diana frowned. “They were in Afghanistan so that was most likely organized by terrorist cells operating out of the area.” When she noticed the impressed look on Clark’s face she shrugged. “I don’t space out _all_ the time at the UN meetings.”

 **_**"What's going on?" T** _ ** **_**he playboy** _ ** **_**asked.** _ **

**_**"Contact left!" The airm** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**n shouted** _ ** **_**back, her words sounding garbled due to the commotion. While the civilian in their midst tried to asking something more, s** _ ** **_**he stepped out to** _ ** **_**take the fight to the attackers only to be** _ ** **_**shot down. The soldier** _ ** **_**wi** _ ** **_**th** _ ** **_**the camera glanced** _ ** **_**at the younger soldier** _ ** **_**, yelling;** _ ** **_**"Jimmy, stay with Stark!"** _ ** **_**before jumping out himself. At the same time, the nervy soldier -Jimmy- yelled for Stark to** _ ** **_**"Stay down!"** _ ** **_**a command the man was only too glad to obey, fear visible on his features as the gun battle waged on. The unnamed soldier crept to the front of the car and attacked, getting off a few shots at an unseen enemy before being gunned down himself, some of the bullets tearing through him to strike the** _ ** **_**windshield.** _ **

The Cave was silent now, everyone watching with bated breath as they wondered where this violence would lead. Bruce and Dick, being two of the sharpest minds present, had already guessed the target of the ambush, though they chose to remain quiet.

**_**The nervy soldier -Jimmy- yelled out an expletive as he cocked his weapon before heading out himself.** _ **

**_**"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Give me a gun!"** _ ** **_**Stark** _ ** **_**shouted** _ ** **_**frantically, drawing Jimmy’s attention for a second** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Stay here!"** _ ** **_**The soldier** _ ** **_**ordered** _ ** **_**before returning his focus onto the fight.** _ **

**_**He was too late, though; an extremely fast burst of weapons lanced through him and into the armored vehicle behind him, only narrowly missing the frightened civilian man who shakily turned to the window closest to himself.** _ **

**_**There w** _ ** **_**as** _ ** **__ ** **_**fire everywhere he turned with** _ ** **_**explosions** _ ** **_**going up intermittently, pumping a seemingly endless deluge of smoke into the cloudless sky.** _ **

“My God…” Artemis gasped as M’gann turned to hide her weeping face into Conner’s chest.

They had been through fights of varying scales and had even faced a simulation of a war yet not a single one of them could be said to be a ‘civilian’ in the pure sense of things. They were each capable of defending themselves in thir own ways if they were ever stuck in a pinch.

This though, was different: it was a depiction of war as seen through the eyes of a frightened man that could not fight.

It was horrifying.

 **_**More shout** _ ** **_**s; more** _ ** **_**gunshots** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Stark looke** _ ** **_**d around in a panic,** _ ** **_**desperation growing in his eyes** _ ** **__ ** **_**as** _ ** **_**more** _ ** **_**and more** _ ** **_**bodies collapsed** _ ** **_**lifelessly** _ ** **_**to the ground.** _ **

**_**Unable to take it any longer, h** _ ** **_**e** _ ** **_**yanked the door open and** _ ** **_**got out of the vehicle, stumbling a bit** _ ** **_**as he plunged into** _ ** **_**the chaos.** _ ** **_**It should have been slow going, he should have tried to keep an eye on his surroundings but fear** _ ** **__ ** **_**spurred him on, stumbling over the loose desert sand as missile whistled overhead before plunging into the ground with explosive force. He yelped and dove** _ ** **_**behind a rock** _ ** **_**, seeking** _ ** **_**cover** _ ** **_**when a whistling missile sounded too close to home** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**Safe -or at least covered for the moment, h** _ ** **_**e** _ ** **__ ** **_**pulled out his phone to contact and call for help when a** _ ** **_**n object clanked right** _ ** **_**next to him. He looked** _ ** **__ ** **_**over to see** _ ** **_**a small, missile shaped object bearing the damning words** _ ** **_**: Stark Industries.** _ **

“Wait! Didn’t that soldier refer to him as _Stark_?!” Wally cried out in shock.

“‘ _Without peace, I’d be out of a job…’_ ” Zatanna recalled, eyes wide as comprehension dawned. “Oh my… he makes weapons?!”

“We cannot jump to conclusions yet, Zatanna.” Kaldur stated, though he had come to the same conclusion himself. “He might be the scion of such a company whose _father_ founded the company on such a path. This ambush may be a way to pressure his father for something.”

 **_**The bomb** _ ** **_**let off a shrill keening cry that got** _ ** **_**louder by the second.** _ ** **_**Stark scrabbled to his feet and tried to run but it was already too late:** _ ** **__ ** **_**t** _ ** **_**he bomb exploded** _ ** **_**, the concussive force flinging away like he was a child’s toy.** _ **

**_**He hit** _ ** **__ ** **_**the ground hard, senses dulled** _ ** **_**by the force and the pain** _ ** **_**. H** _ ** **_**is eyes opened slowly, almost disbelieving that he was still alive. He seemed to feel a** _ ** **_**pain in his chest** _ ** **_**then because he frantically yanked at his shirt as the blood splotches on it grew, tearing it open to** _ ** **_**reveal a vest** _ ** **_**of some sort beneath** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **__ ** **_**shirt** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Whatever material the vest was made of, it hadn’t been able to withstand the shrapnel unleashed by the bomb, leaving a nasty wound in his chest.** _ **

**_**He stared at it for a few seconds before the pain-induced shock took over and he laid sprawled on the desert floor** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**ev** _ ** **_**erything fading to white.** _ **

“Do you think he’s…”

“I don’t think so, Conner.” Artemis frowned. “Look, the scene’s already changing.”

 **_**As she had pointed out, the blinding** _ ** **_**whiteness** _ ** **_**that had overtaken the screen b** _ ** **_**ecame** _ ** **_**a faded** _ ** **_**brown** _ ** **_**that resolved itself into the image of light shining through a woven material. The camera view switched in time for them to see an unknown figure yank what looked like a jute bag off Stark’s** _ ** **_**head** _ ** **_**, revealing his torn up, bloodied features** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**The man squinted, clearly trying to get his** _ ** **_**eyes** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**adjust to the** _ ** **_**sudden abundance of** _ ** **_**light** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**It took a few moments but his eyes adjusted,** _ ** **_**allowing him to** _ ** **_**se** _ ** **_**e a couple of** _ ** **__ ** **_**strange men pointing a video camera at him. He then noticed he was strapped to a chair,** _ ** **__ ** **_**surrounded by men with guns, shouting in a strange foreign language.** _ **

**_**The screen went black, soon replaced by the golden letters of the title:** _ **

**_**IRON MAN** _ **

“I didn’t quite catch that last part but they seemed to be addressing someone.” Dick said with a frown of his own as Dinah paused the movie. “I caught something that sounded like ‘ _This is Tony Stark…’_

“I got the same.” Bruce nodded. “I believe that’s his name.”

“So… ignoring the fact that Boy Wonder speaks some… unknown Middle Eastern dialect, I think that was a little bit heavier than I expected.” Wally said. “I hate to be the one to say this but… do we keep watching?”

“Well… we’ve already started…” M’gann voiced her opinion, though it was clear that she was still quite shaken by what they had just watched.

“I want to see it through.” Conner stated and Wolf growled his agreement. “The title’s _Iron Man_ , right? Well I want to know what that’s all about.”

“Anyone against watching it?” Dinah asked. When no one spoke, she nodded and pressed the the play button.

 **_**The title screen faded away to show** _ ** **__ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**stage with two large screens on either side of the podium. People** _ ** **_**were** _ ** **_**seated at** _ ** **__ ** **_**tables all throughout** _ ** **_**a large** _ ** **_**room** _ ** **_**and most -if not all-** _ ** **_**were applauding and cheering.** _ **

**_**The time stamp drew a lot of attention from the Watchers, though, even beyond the visibly happy crowd.** _ **

**_**Las Vegas, 36 hours earlier** _ **

“Thirty six hours huh? So a day and half before the opening scene.” Clark noted. “This should help explain a few things.”

 **_**A video was then shown on the** _ ** **__ ** **_**two screens.** _ **

**_**"Tony Stark. Visionary. Genius. American patriot.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ **

“Well, the movie’s definitely about him.” Artemis noted with a hint of her usual snark showing through. “There can’t possibly be another protagonist after _that_ introduction.”

 **_**“** _ ** **_**Even from an early age, the son of legendary** _ ** **__ ** **_**weapons developer Howard Stark quickly stole the spotlight with his brilliant and unique mind.** _ ** **__ ** **_**At age four, he built his first circuit board. At age six, his first engine. And at 17, he graduated** _ ** **__ ** **_**summa cum laude from MIT." A narrator spoke over several pictures of Tony throughout his life,** _ ** **__ ** **_**including a magazine cover of him at age 6 on a motorcycle with his father and one where he** _ ** **__ ** **_**was at college next to some form of robot.** _ **

“Okay, so Kaldur wasn’t _exactly_ wrong.” Wally pointed out. “Seriously though, his dad must have worked up some some insane weapons to have been considered a legend.”

“It could be an exaggeration, though.” Oliver pointed out. “Maybe they’re buttering his old man up for some-”

Dinah tapped him and gestured at the screen.

 **_**"Then, the passing of a titan. Howard Stark's lifelong friend and ally, Obadiah Stane, steps in to** _ ** **__ ** **_**help fill the gap left by the legendary founder** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**" The narrator continued as a newspaper headline** _ ** **_**came up, showing that the Stark** _ ** **_**parents** _ ** **_**had** _ ** **_**died in a car crash. Then, a few images of a bearded bald man,** _ ** **__ ** **_**including a magazine cover where he appeared to be looking down on the world.** _ **

“You know… I feel bad for Stark and all but I can’t help wondering if things would have been any different if Bruce’s parents had died of a car crash and not… you know.” Dinah murmured, ensuring that none but her husband and the two Kryptonians would hear her (and those two only heard because they couldn’t exactly turn off their super-hearing).

Unknown to her, it was a question that had flitted across every mind in the room, none more so than Bruce himself.

‘My life could have been so… different if they had died in some other way that didn’t involve crime…’

 **_**"Until, at age 21, the prodigal son returns and is anointed the new CEO of Stark Industries. With** _ ** **__ ** **_**the keys to the kingdom, Tony ushers in a new era for his father's legacy, creating smarter** _ ** **__ ** **_**weapons, advanced robotics, satellite targeting. Today, Tony Stark has changed the face of the** _ ** **__ ** **_**weapons industry by ensuring freedom and protecting America and her interests around the** _ ** **__ ** **_**globe." The narrator** _ ** **_**completed his spiel** _ ** **__ ** **_**just** _ ** **_**as the video** _ ** **_**roll** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**on to show** _ ** **_**more pictures of Tony** _ ** **_**together with** _ ** **_**a moving blueprint of** _ ** **__ ** **_**a missile and its targeting system** _ ** **_**before** _ ** **_**finish** _ ** **_**ing off** _ ** **_**with several more magazine covers of Tony.** _ **

“So much for loving peace!” Zatanna shouted angrily. “He’s just making more weapons!”

“And they’re cheering him on!” M’gann added, her tears having long dried up. “How can they cheer him on when all he does is make things that kill people?”

“As much as I understand your anger, I cannot say that I’m surprised.” Diana sighed. “I know many of you think you understand what the world is really like but… peace, _true_ peace, is a far off concept. Right now, every nation believes that having the bigger guns or the more expansive military arsenal is the key to maintaining their own interests so a large portion of national budgets the world over is dedicated to the development and acquisition of weapons.”

“It’s not something I’m particularly proud of but even Wayne Enterprises isn’t exempt from that.” Bruce scowled. “We’ve had to create a number of weapons for the government.”

“Same here.” Oliver admitted. “I’ve tried to diversify Queen Consolidated as much as possible and a lot of our other lines of business _are_ producing good results but our biggest stakeholders know that defense contracts can be extremely lucrative so they keep pushing our R&D section to make things that go boom.”

Most of the teenagers were aghast at the news. “But… why?” Wally asked.

“I’ll ask you the same question many of the ambassadors to these countries ask whenever I try to get them to devote a little less to their ‘defence’ budgets.” Diana started. “ _Three men in a room are arguing. The argument gets heated enough for them to pull out their weapons: one holds up his hands, the other a large club and the third a gun. Who do you think the others will listen to?_ ”

The room got very quiet after that.

 **_**A soldier was now standing at the podium with the award for Tony. "As** _ ** **__ ** **_**liaison to Stark Industries, I've had the unique privilege of serving with a real patriot. He is my** _ ** **__ ** **_**friend and he is my great mentor. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present this year's** _ ** **__ ** **_**Apogee Award to Mr. Tony Stark!" He announced, another round of applause filling the room,** _ ** **__ ** **_**with the Colonel joining them this time.** _ **

“So he builds weapons and gets awarded for it.” Conner frowned. “He sounds like he deserved every bit of what happened to him earlier.”

“Don’t say that, Conner! That’s not right!” M’gann scolded. It was without any heat, though, and the more sensitive people present -read: everybody save Wally- could tell that her heart wasn’t in those words.

 **_**The ‘man of the hour’, as it so happened,** _ ** **_**was nowhere to be found.** _ **

**_**"Tony?" He** _ ** **__ ** **_**asked, sounding a bit desperate** _ ** **_**. He took a quick sweep of the room, sharing a quick look with a shrugging Obadiah Stane as he went** _ ** **_**but** _ ** **_**got nothing.** _ **

**_**After a few more minutes of awkward silence, Obadiah came to the stage** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**shaking** _ ** **_**the soldier’s** _ ** **_**hand and taking the award.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"Thank you, Colonel."** _ ** **__ **

**_**"Thanks for the save."** _ ** **_**The Colonel** _ ** **_**said gratefully** _ ** **_**with a tight smile** _ ** **__ ** **_**before** _ ** **_**walking off** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**stage.** _ **

**_**"This is beautiful. Thank you. Thank you all very much. This is wonderful." Obadiah said, looking** _ ** **__ ** **_**at the award in his hand.** _ **

**_**"Well, I'm not Tony Stark." He said, getting a chuckle from the audience. "But if I were Tony, I** _ ** **__ ** **_**would tell you how honored I feel and what a joy it is to receive this very prestigious award.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Tony, you know...The best thing about Tony is also the worst thing. He's always working."** _ **

“Bullshit.” Dick, Bruce and Oliver said synchronously, drawing everyone’s eye as Dinah hit the pause button.

“Why do you think the old man’s lying?” Conner asked.

“Bird Boy, you do the honors.”

Taking a moment to shoot a visibly annoyed look at the Emerald Archer, Dick said, “This Stark guy can’t be working, no way.”

“How can you be so sure?” Zatanna curiously asked.

“His personality.” Dick replied immediately. “Or at least, the personality profile the movie has revealed for this guy: he’s a rich, brilliant but cocky, billionaire playboy in Las Vegas. There’s no way he’s skipping the award ceremony just to go work on some project.”

“How do you know he’s in Vegas?” Conner asked, to which Artemis replied: “The sign on the podium reads: Caesar’s Place, Las Vegas.”

“Okay, so our in house psych says mister Stark’s not working.” Wally commented. “Any idea where he is?”

“He’s either at the ridiculously expansive casino I know _Caesar’s_ has or he’s enjoying a nice… _massage_ with at least two eye-catching masseuses.” Oliver smirked. He’d had his fair share of Vegas escapades himself, though none since Dinah entered his life.

Well, none _without Dinah_.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out.” Dinah stated before playing the movie.

 **_**Oliver was proven right less than a second later as the scene changed to reveal the billionaire playboy** _ ** **_**gambling at a Craps table, surrounded** _ ** **__ ** **_**by three attractive women.** _ **

**_**"Work it!" Tony cheered, turning to the quickly growing mob behind** _ ** **__ ** **_**him. A girl tried to drag him away from the table, but he refused to leave it. "Come on! We** _ ** **__ ** **_**should just stay till the morning."** _ **

“Well… at least he’s not quite as debauched as you were.” Bruce muttered, aiming a sly look at Oliver.

“The Delacour triplets.” Dick shot back between coughs, leaving a stony faced Bruce to deal with the sly comments from the other adults, much to the amusement of the Team.

 **_**The soldier from the Award presentation ceremony** _ ** **_**suddenly walked up and broke them apart, glaring at Tony. "You are unbelievable.** _ ** **_**”** _ **

**_**"Oh, no! Did they rope you into this?" Tony asked.** _ **

**_**"Nobody roped me into anything!"** _ ** **_**He** _ ** **_**snapped.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"But they told me that if I presented you with an award, you'd be deeply honored."** _ **

**_**"I** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**m so sorry." Tony apologized.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"Of course I'd be deeply honored. And it's you, that's great. So when do we do it?"** _ **

**_**"It's right here."** _ ** **_**The crystal award was lifted and presented right there, amidst the press of bodies just as** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**ordered another round of drinks** _ ** **_**"Here you go."** _ **

**_**"There it is. That was easy. I'm so sorry." Tony said as he took the award.** _ **

**_**"Yeah, it's okay."** _ **

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Artemis groaned before glaring at her mentor. “ _Please_ tell me you never did something that stupid.”

“He’s done worse.” Dinah said before he could get a word in edgewise. “But he’s never forgotten an award ceremony that was certain to have him walk out with bling.”

“I guess we know one difference between Stark and Oliver.” Clark laughed.

 **_**"Wow! Would you look at that? That's something else. I don't have any of those floating around."** _ ** **__ ** **_**Tony said sarcas** _ ** **_**m dripping off every word as he nonchalantly** _ ** **_**hand** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**the award to the girl next to him.** _ **

“Jeez. Does this guy have a heart or is he made of pure, arrogant self-centered wit?” Oliver frowned now, clearly getting annoyed by what he was seeing. “I mean, I get that he’s playing up the rich playboy thing but this is getting ridiculous.”

 **_**"We're gonna let it ride!" Tony said as he scooped up the dice and held them up to the girl he** _ ** **__ ** **_**gave the award to. "Give me a hand, will you? Give me a little something-something." He told** _ ** **__ ** **_**her and she blew on the dice, looking at him seductively.** _ **

**_**"Okay, you, too." Tony said and held the dice out to Rhodes' face.** _ **

**_**"I don't blow on a man's dice." Rhodes refused.** _ **

Disapproval of his overly laissez-a-faire attitude or not, the Colonel’s comment triggered an explosive snort of laughter from the more mature minded ones in the room, leaving Conner, M’gann and Zatanna to wonder what they had missed. (To be fair, Zatanna had only missed it because she was reminding herself to craft a seduction repelling charm that she would give to Dick)

 **_**"Come on, honey bear." Tony insisted, but Rhodes knocked Tony's hand away causing the dice** _ ** **__ ** **_**to roll. "There it is. Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes rolls! And..." Tony announced the roll, the dice** _ ** **__ ** **_**both coming up on one.** _ **

**_**"Two craps. Line away." The dealer announced, taking the dice away.** _ **

**_**"That's what happens." Rhodes said.** _ **

**_**"Worse things have happened. I think we're gonna be fine. Color me up, William." Tony said.** _ **

**_**The scene jumped ahead in time, now showing** _ ** **_**Tony and the** _ ** **_**Co** _ ** **_**lonel walk** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**out of the casino, followed by several guards. "This is where I exit."** _ ** **__ ** **_**Tony said.** _ **

**_**"All right. Tomorrow, don't be late." Rhodes told him.** _ **

**_**"Yeah, you can count on it." Tony assured him.** _ **

“...He’s gonna be late isn’t he?” Zatanna sighed.

“I’m not a betting man but I’d stake both my water bearers up in this case.” Kaldur added.

**_**"I'm serious!" Rhodes warned him.** _ **

**_**"I know, I know." Tony said dismissively.** _ **

**_**A few feet further, he spotted a man wearing a toga and smirked.** _ ** **_**"Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. There you** _ ** **__ ** **_**go."** _ **

**_**Just like that, the man owned an Apogee Award.** _ **

A series of meaty smacks was heard around the room as a number of palms came up to meet their respective foreheads.

“Idiot.” Artemis groaned. “This guy is just… he’s an idiot.”

 **_**Tony and his guards walked out to a slick limo, but as** _ ** **_**he** _ ** **_**was about to get in, a very attractive** _ ** **__ ** **_**blonde rushed towards the vehicle b** _ ** **_**efore being screened off** _ ** **_**by the bodyguards.** _ **

**_**"Mr. Stark! Excuse me, Mr. Stark!" The ravishingly young woman called to him, out of breath.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"Christine Everhart, Vanity Fair magazine. Can I ask you a couple of questions?" She** _ ** **__ ** **_**requested.** _ **

**_**Tony tilted his head and looked at one of his bodyguards. "She's cute."** _ **

**_**Said bodyguard** _ ** **_**mumbled.** _ **

“Wally? Hand me the case for a second will you?” Dinah asked, her eyes narrowed. The case landed in her hand a second later, accompanied by the speedster’s inquiry as to why she needed it. “I need to confirm that this movie isn’t R-rated.”

**_**"She's all right?" Tony questioned. He then turned to Christine. "Hi." He greeted.** _ **

**_**"Hi." She returned the greeting.** _ **

**_**"Yeah. Okay, go." He permitted.** _ **

**_**"It's okay?" She asked at the same time he spoke, before starting. "You've been called the da** _ ** **__ ** **_**Vinci of our time. What do you say to that?" She asked.** _ **

**_**"Absolutely ridiculous. I don't paint." Tony said.** _ **

**_**"And what do you say to your other nickname? 'The Merchant of Death'?" She asked again.** _ **

**_**"That's not bad." Tony accepted.** _ **

“Wait. He has a problem being referred to as Da Vinci but he’s chill with a title like that?!” Dick balked. “What is wrong with this guy?!”

“I believe he has a reason for saying that.” Diana stated. “We should listen to what he has to say.”

**_**"Let me guess. Berkeley?" Tony asked.** _ **

**_**"Brown, actually." Christine corrected.** _ **

**_**"Well, Ms. Brown, it's an imperfect world, but it's the only one we've got. I guarantee you, the** _ ** **__ ** **_**day weapons are no longer needed to keep the peace, I'll start making bricks and beams for** _ ** **__ ** **_**baby hospitals." Tony told her.** _ **

“He sounds like some of the Wayne Enterprises stakeholders.” Bruce grimaced.

“He’s… not wrong…” Clark quietly admitted. “We may not like it but for as long as the threat of war remains, there will always be those who prioritize weapons over other things.”

**_**"Rehearse that much?" She questioned.** _ **

**_**"Every night in front of the mirror before bedtime." He confirmed.** _ **

**_**"I can see that." She said.** _ **

**_**"I'd like to show you first-hand." He propositioned.** _ **

**_**"All I want is a serious answer." She told him.** _ **

**_**"Okay, here's serious. My old man had a philosophy, 'Peace means having a bigger stick than** _ ** **__ ** **_**the other guy.'" Tony said.** _ **

**_**"That's a great line coming from the guy selling the sticks." She criticized.** _ **

**_**"My father helped defeat the Nazis. He worked on the Manhattan Project. A lot of people,** _ ** **__ ** **_**including your professors at Brown, would call that being a hero." Tony countered.** _ **

**_**"And a lot of people would also call that war profiteering." Christine retorted.** _ **

**_**"Tell me, do you plan to report on the millions we've saved by advancing medical technology or** _ ** **__ ** **_**kept from starvation with our intelli-crops? All those breakthroughs, military funding, honey."** _ ** **__ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**shot** _ ** **_**back.** _ **

“...fuck. He sounds like bloody Rochev.” Oliver scowled. “‘We can only help the people if we have the funds to do so.’ Bullshit.”

 **_**"Wow." Christine said, raising her eyebrows. "You ever lose an hour of sleep your whole life?"** _ ** **__ **

**_**"I'd be prepared to lose a few with you." Tony propositioned.** _ **

**_**Risque music began to play before the scene changed to Tony being thrown down onto the bed,** _ ** **__ ** **_**Christine getting on top of him, her jacket and pants gone as they began smothering each other** _ ** **__ ** **_**with kisses.** _ ** **__ ** **_**The two of them made sensual noises as they tangled themselves together, Tony rolling to be** _ ** **__ ** **_**on top, causing them to fall off the bed, the billionaire laughing.** _ **

“Well… that devolved quickly.” Dinah blinked in surprise. “I thought she was grilling him?”

“Oh she was.” Oliver smirked. “Now her buns are about to get pork- AGH! Clark what the hell!?” The Archer leapt off his ass as he hopped about on a foot, trying to put out the fire that had spontaneously combusted at the tip of his boot.

“Language.” The Kryptonian replied coolly, slanting just the briefest wink to Conner who grinned back.

“I’m just glad it’s not R.” Dinah said as the onscreen duo fell out of the bed. “I’m not having the birds and the bees talk with anyone.”

“The what talk?” Conner asked even as M’gann asked a question to the same neffect.

Dinah sighed. “After the movie.”

 **_**The scene changed again, this time jumping to the morning after:** _ ** **_**Christine was alone in bed, covered only** _ ** **_**by** _ ** **_**the blanket** _ ** **_**in a dim room.** _ **

**_**The lights came on rather abruptly, then, startling her to wakefulness** _ **

**_**"Good morning. It's 7:00 a.m. The weather in Malibu is 72** _ ** **__ ** **_**degrees with scattered clouds. The surf conditions are fair with waist-to-shoulder high lines.** _ ** **__ ** **_**High tide will be at 10:52 a.m." An automated voice announced, the black wall suddenly** _ ** **__ ** **_**brightening, revealing that they were automated blinds in front of a balcony** _ ** **_**that provided** _ ** **_**an** _ ** **_**excellent view of the** _ ** **_**ocean.** _ **

**_**Christine walked up to the windows, wrapped in the white blanket. The view suddenly backed** _ ** **__ ** **_**out to reveal a huge, beautiful white mansion built with modern marble architecture, perched on** _ ** **__ ** **_**a cliff above the sea. It also had a pool.** _ **

**_**The location was introduced as Malibu, California.** _ **

“That’s one hell of a view.” Clark remarked, earning nods from everyone present.

Then, out of nowhere, twin cracks were heard, followed by yelps of pain.

“Artemis! What the hell-?!” Wally cried out, his eyes actually watering, so hard had she hit him.

“Dinah, babe, I meant the sunrise over the ocean! I swear! You know I’ve only got eyes for you.” Oliver, on the other hand was less demanding and more pleading, knowing that nothing else would mollify his love.

As such, Dinah’s amused response was all the more cutting: “I know. I just felt like whacking you upside the skull.”

Cue uproarious laughter.

 **_**The scene jumped again: this time** _ ** **_**Christine** _ ** **_**was seen traipsing** _ ** **_**around the house, in a short purple robe, searching for the** _ ** **__ ** **_**billionaire. "Tony? Hey, Tony?"** _ **

**_**She walked down the hall, admiring a** _ ** **__ ** **_**piece of art on the table, then noticed a panel on the wall and put a finger to it.** _ **

“Oh come on! You don’t just push random buttons in a strange house!” Dick groaned. “That’s begging for trouble!”

 **_**She would come to regret this almost immediately as the device flashed red with an alarm going** _ ** **__ ** **_**off, causing her to recoil in surprise.** _ **

“See what I mean?”

 **_**"You are not authorized to access this area." The** _ ** **__ ** **_**automated voice** _ ** **_**stated.** _ **

**_**"Jesus." She said in shock, backing away from the panel.** _ **

**_**About 10 feet behind her was another woman in a business skirt. "That's Jarvis. He runs the** _ ** **__ ** **_**house." She explained, before holding up Christine's clothes on a coat hanger, covered in** _ ** **__ ** **_**plastic. "I've got your clothes here. They've been dry-cleaned and pressed, and there's a car** _ ** **__ ** **_**waiting for you outside that will take you anywhere you'd like to go."** _ **

“Really? He’s got an AI running the house and a- what, a female butler?”

 **_**"You must be the famous Pepper Potts." Christine said, gesturing to Pepper with her finger as** _ ** **__ ** **_**she approached.** _ **

**_**"Indeed I am." Pepper confirmed.** _ **

**_**"After all these years, Tony still has you picking up the dry-cleaning." Christine s** _ ** **_**mirke** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **_**, her tone bearing a little more than a** _ ** **_**hint of** _ ** **__ ** **_**a sneer.** _ **

“Oh burn!!!” Wally hissed dramatically.

 **_**Pepper Potts was unfazed at this insult, however, simply smiling** _ ** **_**beatifically** _ ** **_**. "I do anything and everything** _ ** **__ ** **_**that Mr. Stark requires, including, occasionally, taking out the trash. Will that be all?" She** _ ** **_**finished it off with a slight** _ ** **_**gestur** _ ** **_**e to** _ ** **_**the door.** _ **

“Critical hit!” Oliver yelled out, clutching a hand over his heart. “Abort mission! I repeat: Abort mission!”

“Captain, she can’t recover from that! The Ego has crashed! I repeat: the Ego has crashed!” Wally screamed comically before slumping onto Artemis.

The female archer rolled her eyes as everyone shared a laugh at the spontaneous comedic scene enacted by the duo. “Can’t I have any _mature_ men in my life?”

“You could.” Zatanna stated thoughtfully. “But then you’d probably get bored with them being sullen all the time.” The statement was finished with a jerk of the head toward a certain Dark Knight and a Kryptonian clone.

“Hey. I thought you went for the strong, silent types.” Dick said, poking at his girlfriend teasingly.

Unfortunately, the young magician had a wit that more than matched his: “Sorry Richard but you’re neither strong nor silent.”

The room went silent as each of the men present stared with their mouth agape while the ladies shoulders’ shook with humor.

“Sorry _Richard_ but you left yourself wide open for that one.” Artemis shamelessly added.

“Can… can we get back to the movie now?” Robin asked in a faux-timid voice.

 **_**Tony was now shown in his garage, listening to loud rock music while looking at a car's engine,** _ ** **__ ** **_**holding part of it in his hand, looking at a screen. "Give me an exploded view. " He instructed.** _ **

**_**"The compression in cylinder three appears to be low." Jarvis noted as an image of the engine** _ ** **__ ** **_**was pulled apart, piece by piece.** _ **

**_**"Log that." Tony instructed again.** _ **

**_**Pepper came down the stairs, typing in the code to unlock the lab and entering, talking on a cell** _ ** **__ ** **_**phone. "I'm gonna try again, right now." She informed whoever she was talking to.** _ **

**_**"Please don't turn down my music." Tony said, not even looking up from his work.** _ **

**_**"I'll keep you posted." She said, before closing the phone and looking at her boss. "You are** _ ** **__ ** **_**supposed to be halfway around the world right now." She told him.** _ **

**_**"How'd she take it?" Tony asked.** _ **

**_**"Like a champ." Pepper said, looking at her papers.** _ **

**_**"Why are you trying to hustle me out of here?" Tony asked, looking at an engine part.** _ **

“Did he not hear the ‘supposed to be halfway around the world’ part?” Artemis asked, once again trying to wrap her head around how such an irreverent looking guy could be the head of a multi-billion dollar company.

“I… I hate to defend him but he’s not exactly inexcusable this time.” Conner said, sounding a bit bashful. “I’ve been a bit over-immersed in giving Sphere a few tune-ups once or twice.”

“Just a little bit?” M’gann smiled as she poked him in the side, unseen to everyone else. “I remember having to kick you a few times to get your head out from under your bucket of bolts.”

“Don’t let her hear you.” He replied jokingly before turning to everyone else. “But… yeah. I’m pretty sure we’ve all got that thing we enjoy doing almost to the exclusion of everything else.”

“Hmm… I suppose Mr Stark’s off the hook. This time.” Artemis agreed.

**_**"Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and a half ago." She informed him.** _ **

**_**"That's funny, I thought with it being my plane and all, that it would just wait for me to get there."** _ ** **__ ** **_**He said nonchalantly.** _ **

**_**"Tony, I need to speak to you about a couple things before I get you out of the door." Pepper** _ ** **__ ** **_**said, hitting the button on a pen.** _ **

**_**The genius turned back towards her. "Doesn't it kind of defeat the whole purpose of having your** _ ** **__ ** **_**own plane if it departs before you arrive?" He asked.** _ **

**_**"Larry called. He's got another buyer for the Jackson Pollock** _ ** **_**‘I** _ ** **_**n the** _ ** **_**W** _ ** **_**ings** _ ** **_**’** _ ** **_**. Do you want it? Yes** _ ** **__ ** **_**or no." She asked.** _ **

“I wonder what they are talking about.” Kaldur hummed, mostly thinking out loud.

Of course, being who they were, the rest of the Team _had_ to try their hands at guessing what was being discussed, prompting suggestions as ranging from statements as tame as “It’s a painting!” to Wally’s wild “Spaceship!”

**_**"Is it a good representation of his spring period?" Tony asked.** _ **

**_**"No. The Springs was actually the neighborhood in East Hampton where he lived and worked,** _ ** **__ ** **_**not 'spring' like the season." Pepper informed him.** _ **

**_**"So?"** _ **

**_**"I think it's a fair example. I think it's incredibly overpriced." She voiced her opinion.** _ **

**_**"I need it. Buy it. Store it." He instructed, getting up and walking past her.** _ **

“Sounds like a painting to me.” Clark said thoughtfully. “What do you guys think?

When Bruce, Diana and Oliver agreed with the Man of Steel’s opinion, M’gann threw her hands in the air, happy to have guessed correctly.

 **_**She nodded, lowering her work stuff and following him. "Okay. The MIT commencement** _ ** **__ ** **_**speech..." She started.** _ **

**_**"Is in June. Please, don't harangue me about stuff that's way, way, down..." He said.** _ **

**_**"They're haranguing me, so I'm gonna say yes." She told him.** _ **

**_**"Deflect it and absorb it. Don't transmit it back to me." He said, turning back to face her.** _ **

“Ugh, I hate it when this happens.” Oliver groaned. “I mean, six months away from a meeting and my PR’s strangling me to memorize a stupidly long speech! I mean, it’s _months away!_ ”

“Sounds like life at the top’s quite challenging.” Clark smirked at Bruce who simply arched an eyebrow before responding.

“Unlike Mister Queen, I’ll have you know that every speech I give is handwritten and composed by yours truly.”

The Cave went deathly silent.

“Um… Bruce… was that a _joke_?” Dick cautiously asked, his hand slowly inching toward a batarang. There was no ****way**** that was Bruce: he never cracked jokes while the cowl was on!

“What? I’m not allowed to crack jokes but you are?” He asked, giving that little smirk that just reeked of smugness. “And Dinah said _I_ was too uptight.”

“You are.” The blonde shrugged before smirking right back at him. “I’m just glad to see that getting Clark to sit on you has worked wonders for your countenance because trust me: the dark and broody default was getting really annoying.”

 **_**"I need you to sign this before you get on the plane." She said, opening up a folder for him to** _ ** **__ ** **_**sign a paper inside.** _ **

**_**"What are you trying to get rid of me for? What, you got plans?" He asked.** _ **

**_**"As a matter of fact, I do." She confirmed.** _ **

**_**"I don't like it when you have plans." Tony said.** _ **

“...I’m not sure whether to go on a huge ‘he’s a sexist pig’ rant or to give him a chance to prove me wrong.” Artemis said, eyes narrowed.

“Give him a chance.” Zatanna chuckled. “He may seem like a rich, arrogant ogre but like _Shrek_ showed, even ogres have layers.”

**_**"I'm allowed to have plans on my birthday." She countered.** _ **

**_**"It's your birthday?" He asked.** _ **

**_**"Yes." She confirmed.** _ **

**_**"I knew that. Already?" He asked.** _ **

**_**"Yeah. Isn't that strange? It's the same day as last year." She sassed him.** _ **

“He’s not exactly making it any easier.”

“Give him time.”

**_**"Get yourself something nice from me." Tony told her.** _ **

**_**"I already did." She told him.** _ **

**_**"And?" He asked.** _ **

**_**"It was very nice." She said.** _ **

**_**"Yeah." He inquired.** _ **

**_**"Very tasteful. Thank you, Mr. Stark." She said.** _ **

**_**"You're welcome, Miss Potts." He told her. She handed him a small cup of coffee, which he** _ ** **__ ** **_**downed immediately. "Okay." He said, handing the cup back and heading out.** _ **

“Well, I guess that’s the second bullet he’s dodged.” Dick stated, directing a slight smile at the slightly fuming archer.

Zatanna wouldn’t let her live it down, of course: “See? He’s just socially retarded. He’s a socially retarded ogre.”

“Sheesh! Harsh much?” Wally asked, to which the dark haired magician poked her tongue out.

“To be fair, though, Stark has not exactly been given too many chances to shine as a character.” Kaldur stated. “It is somewhat refreshing to see that he isn’t quite as horrible a person as his initial screen time has shown.”

“Kal, he forgot his assistant’s birthday.” Artemis deadpanned.

“I don’t doubt that.” The Atlantean replied agreeably. “However he at least tried to offer her a birthday gift, regardless of how… awkward his presentation was.”

“To be honest, very few people are completely evil.” Diana added. “And while Stark certainly hasn’t had too many shining moments, I am inclined to believe that his character flaws may in fact be a cover for deeper problems he might have.”

“Well, let’s see if the Princess is right.” Oliver nodded. “Dinah?”

 **_**The m** _ ** **_**ovie** _ ** **_**c** _ ** **_**ontinued with a blast of music** _ ** **_**as a beautiful silver** _ ** **_**Audi** _ ** **_**was shown roaring down a road along th** _ ** **_**e** _ ** **_**cliff side,** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**black** _ ** **_**Bentley** _ ** **_**struggling to keep up.** _ **

**_**The** _ ** **_**Audi** _ ** **_**pulled up onto an airport tarmac, followed closely by the** _ ** **_**Bentley as** _ ** **_**a plane** _ ** **_**gleamed** _ ** **_**on the concrete** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**The Colonel from the Apogee Awards** _ ** **__ ** **_**stood at the plane’s entrance,** _ ** **_**glaring as Tony got out of the sports car.** _ **

**_**"You're good." Tony** _ ** **__ ** **_**complimented as he closed the door** _ ** **_**to the Audi** _ ** **_**. "I thought I lost you back there."** _ **

**_**"You did, sir. I had to cut across Mulholland."** _ ** **_**The driver of the Bentley, a slightly heavyset man with dark hair, got out of the car and struggled to get Tony’s luggage out of the trunk** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"I got you. I got you." Tony laughed, walking to the staircase of the plane.** _ **

“Why do I get the feeling that if he’d lost the driver he’d have ended up in a bar somewhere, tinkering with some dude’s bike?” Wally asked.

“You’re probably not wrong about that.” Artemis agreed with a slight smirk. “At least about the bar part. If he’s anything like Ollie, though, he might have end up _tinkering_ with the biker dude’s girlfriend.”

The Emerald Archer’s jaw dropped open and it got even wider when Bruce added: “Your protege has you pegged there.”

“I get no respect around here!”

 **_**"What's wrong with you?"** _ ** **_**The Colonel** _ ** **_**demanded, clearly furious.** _ **

**_**"What?" Tony asked** _ ** **_**, trying -and failing- to appear** _ ** **_**innocent** _ ** **_**as the driver** _ ** **_**follow** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**with his luggage.** _ **

**_**"Three hours."** _ **

“Meh. Ollie’s been later.”

“Jesus!”

**_**"I got caught doing a piece for Vanity Fair." Tony gave his excuse.** _ **

**_**"For three hours?** _ ** **__ ** **_**For three hours you got me** _ ** **__ ** **_**standing here."** _ ** **_**Rhodes** _ ** **_**snapped** _ ** **_**, clearly not having any of it** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Waiting on you now. Let's go. Come on." Tony said, moving past him into the jet with** _ ** **_**the driver bundling his** _ ** **_**luggage** _ ** **_**in right after him** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"Wheels up! Rock and roll!"** _ **

“I wonder where they’re going?” M’gann said thoughtfully as the scene shifted to show the Stark Industries branded plane now in flight.

“Judging by the timeline the film has built in, he’s likely on his way to Afghanistan, where the movie started.” Bruce stated.

 **_**Inside** _ ** **_**the clearly luxurious plane** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **__ ** **_**Tony and** _ ** **_**Rhodes** _ ** **_**were sitting near the windows** _ ** **_**as** _ ** **_**a stewardess la** _ ** **_**id** _ ** **_**out** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**silverware.** _ **

**_**"What you** _ ** **__ ** **_**reading, platypus?" Tony asked.** _ **

**_**"Nothing."** _ ** **_**The colonel** _ ** **_**said** _ ** **_**without** _ ** **__ ** **_**taking so much as a glance away** _ ** **_**his paper.** _ **

**_**"Come on, sour patch. Don't be mad." Tony said.** _ **

**_**"I told you, I'm not mad. I'm indifferent, okay?"** _ **

“Well damn.”

“What?” Clark asked.

“I know we’ve poked fun at his character all day but I think it’s a real problem when a friend gets indifferent to your sh- I mean, your bad habits.” Oliver clarified.

“How’d you know that Rhodes’ his friend?” Conner asked.

“He said so himself during the awards.” Dick answered. “Plus, we saw how the soldiers in the armored truck referred to him. Compared to how this guy treats him, there’s definitely a relationship here that extends beyond occasional meetings.”

**_**"I said I was sorry." Tony told him.** _ **

**_**"Good morning, Mr. Stark." An attractive stewardess said.** _ **

**_**"You don't need to apologize to me. I'm your man."** _ ** **_**The attempt at a casual reassurance descended into a less than understandable mess** _ ** **_**as they began** _ ** **__ ** **_**talking over each other.** _ **

**_**Tony then turned his attention to the stewardess with a smile. "Hi. I told him I was sorry, but** _ ** **__ ** **_**he..." He started.** _ **

**_**"I'm just indifferent right now."** _ ** **_**came Rhodes’ hasty interjection** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Hot towel?" The stewardess asked** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ **

**_**Tony t** _ ** **_**ook** _ ** **_**one** _ ** **_**while the colonel continued,** _ ** **_**"You don't respect yourself, so I know you don't respect me."** _ **

**_**"I respect you." Tony** _ ** **_**said with a reassuring** _ ** **__ ** **_**smile** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“He’s kinda right, though.” Dinah frowned just a bit. “Respecting others isn’t exactly easy if one doesn’t respect their own self. To respect others without respecting yourself implies extremely low self-confidence. As in, ‘I’m a doormat, wipe your feet here’ low.”

 **_**"I'm just your babysitter. So, when you need your diaper changed... Thank you." He said,** _ ** **__ ** **_**looking to the stewardess as she gave him a towel. "Let me know and I'll get you a bottle,** _ ** **__ ** **_**okay?"** _ **

**_**"Hey! Heat up the sake, will you?" Tony asked the stewardess. "Thanks for reminding me."** _ **

**_**"No, I'm not talking... We** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**re** _ ** ****not** ** **_**drinking. We're** _ ** ****working** ** **_**right now."** _ ** **_**The colonel** _ ** **_**refused.** _ **

**_**"You can't have sashimi without sake." Tony insisted.** _ **

**_**"You are constitutionally incapable of being responsible."** _ **

**_**"It would be irresponsible not to drink. I'm just talking about a nightcap." Tony countered.** _ **

**_**"Hot sake?" The stewardess asked.** _ **

**_**"Yes, two, please." Tony said as the stewardess poured** _ ** **_**two glasses** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"No. I'm not drinking. I don't want any."** _ **

“And that’s why I respect men in the military.” Diana said with a smile as she turned to Dinah. “They might cut loose when they are off duty but while they are on the job, they retain a great degree of self-discipline.”

“Uh… Diana?”

“Yes Clark?”

The Kryptonian simply pointed at the screen.

 **_**Right after his clear refusal to imbibe, the scene had** _ ** **_**changed** _ ** **_**: now** _ ** **_**both** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**and** _ ** **_**the ‘very disciplined’ colonel were shown practically sitting in each other’s laps,** _ ** **_**clearly drunk,** _ ** **_**as** _ ** **_**strobe lights** _ ** **_**flashed and the** _ ** **__ ** **_**respectably dressed** _ ** **_**stewardesses** _ ** **_**of moments ago now strutted around in improvised club wear.** _ **

“... maybe he’s off duty?” She tried weakly, knowing how lame that excuse sounded.

 **_**"That's what I'm talking about. When I get up in the morning and I'm putting on my uniform, you** _ ** **__ ** **_**know what I recognize? I see in that mirror that every person that's got this uniform on got my** _ ** **__ ** **_**back!"** _ ** **_**The colonel** _ ** **_**drunkenly rambled** _ ** **_**as he swung his hand wildly** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Hey, you know what? I'm not like you. I'm not cut out..." Tony told him.** _ **

**_**"No, no. You don't have to be like me! But you're more than what you are."** _ **

**_**"Can you excuse me if I'm a bit distracted here?" Tony said, gesturing to the dancing** _ ** **__ ** **_**stewardesses.** _ **

**_**"No! You can't be distracted right now! Listen to me!"** _ ** **_**The colonel** _ ** **_**insisted as the** _ ** **_**scene cut to show the** _ ** **_**plane flying above the clouds.** _ **

“So the colonel and the billionaire playboy.” Artemis sighed. “I should have known the idiot would rub off negatively on such a clean cut guy.”

“You really have it out for the guy don’t you?” Oliver asked.

“I had it out for you till I saw you were more than the billionaire idiot too.” She shrugged. “I’ll like him when I see something to like.”

 **_**A location tag reading** _ ** **_**Bagram Air Base** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**Afghanistan** _ ** **_**popped up as the** _ ** **__ ** **_**Stark Industries** _ ** **_**plane was** _ ** **_**shown** _ ** **_**on the ground,** _ ** **_**surrounded** _ ** **_**by the soldiers and** _ ** **__ ** **_**military vehicles** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**S** _ ** **_**nowy mountains** _ ** **_**formed the backdrop to the busy scene** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Tony descended from the planes staircase and walked up to a soldier, shaking his hand.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"General."** _ **

**_**"Welcome, Mr. Stark. We look forward to your weapons presentation."** _ **

**_**"Thanks." Tony said, shaking the hand of the man to the general's left.** _ **

“Alright.” Bruce murmured softly. “Let’s see how much of a genius you are Stark.”

The sentiment was shared: everyone, from the peaceful Clark to his clone wanted to see just how impressive the weapons manufacturer was.

 **_**Tony was now standing in front of a group of soldiers with his sunglasses on, a long and** _ ** **__ ** **_**desolate valley behind him at the foot of the snowy mountains.** _ **

**_**"Is it better to be feared or respected? I say, is it too much to ask for both? With that in mind, I** _ ** **__ ** **_**humbly present the crown jewel of Stark Industries' Freedom Line. It's the first missile system to** _ ** **__ ** **_**incorporate our proprietary repulsor technology. They say the best weapon is one you never** _ ** **__ ** **_**have to fire. I** _ ** ****respectfully** ** **_**disagree. I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once." Tony** _ ** **_**he stat** _ ** **_**ed.** _ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**That's how Dad did it. That's how America does it. And it's worked out pretty well so far.** _ ** **_**”** _ **

“Not word for word but it’s a pretty Machiavellian line of thought.” Dick explained to his girlfriend. “By displaying an overwhelming show of force, you get your enemy to fear even the _thought_ of standing against you.”

“Fear mongering.” Diana spat angrily. “Covered by a veneer of false patriotism.”

“I’m beginning to see why you don’t like him, Artemis.” Wally murmured.

 **_**“** _ ** **_**Find** _ ** **__ ** **_**an excuse to let one of these off the chain, and I personally guarantee you the bad guys won't** _ ** **__ ** **_**even want to come out of their caves." Tony assured the soldiers, gesturing to one of them** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ **

**_**A large missile launcher was shown, bearing a trio of huge missiles. Slowly, almost ominously, the launcher swiveled as it was aimed at** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**mountain peaks in the distance.** _ **

**_**A singl** _ ** **_**e missile** _ ** **_**blasted off** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**rocketing high into the air before the** _ ** **_**outer** _ ** **__ ** **_**casing** _ ** **_**splintered away unleashing** _ ** **_**over a dozen smaller ones that roared to** _ ** **__ ** **_**life and screamed to the ground along with the main missile.** _ **

**_**"For your consideration** _ ** **_**…” Tony announced, lifting his arms dramatically as the missiles fell to the ground like a meteor shower.** _ ** **__ ** **_**“…** _ ** **_**the Jericho."** _ **

**_**T** _ ** **_**he missiles** _ ** **_**hit the ground in a number of locations, triggering massive explosions that unleashed a ripple of force before an even greater series of explosions rang out** _ ** **_**along the mountain line,** _ ** **_**a powerful shockwave** _ ** **_**creating a gust** _ ** **_**strong** _ ** **_**enough to send the soldiers' hats flying** _ ** **_**and forcing even the prepared Tony to stumble forward as** _ ** **_**the dust cloud** _ ** **__ ** **_**engulf** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**them.** _ **

The Cave was silent.

“She was… she wasn’t joking.” Zatanna muttered, horrified at what they had just witnessed. “He really _is_ the Merchant of Death.”

“I mean… I thought it was just media hyperbole and shit but this? Son of a bitch…”

It was a testament to how stunned they all were that Oliver’s little slip up didn’t earn him any sort of rebuttal.

 **_**A briefcase was shown, opening up to reveal it was also a refrigerator, keeping an assortment** _ ** **__ ** **_**of drinks and glasses, Tony grabbing a glass of scotch. "I'll be throwing one of these in with** _ ** **__ ** **_**every purchase of 500 million or more. To peace!" He said, raising his glass and taking a drink** _ ** **__ ** **_**as he walked away.** _ **

“Clark. We don’t have a Tony Stark on our world, do we?” Diana asked, murder clearly visible in her eyes. “If we do I feel the need to… pay him a diplomatic _visit_.”

“I’ll be your personal assistant.” Artemis piped up, her tone as harsh as the Princess’.

“Pretty sure Uncle Barry won’t mind if I take a day off to watch you carry out your diplomatic duties.” Wally added. “Dick and I’ll be your attaches.”

“Guess that leave Kaldur and I as the bodyguards.” Conner finished.

“I’m afraid I won’t be a part of it.” Kaldur stated, his comment earning him the ire of Artemis and the confused looks of everyone else.

“Explain yourself, Kaldur’ahm.” Diana said coldly, her eyes boring into the young Atlantean. “Your king has only ever had good things to say of you so I find it difficult to believe that you would side a warmonger.”

“My apologies, Princess, I did not mean that I would side with him.” He replied. “However, if there is anything the past year has taught me it is that things are rarely what they seem on the surface. I do not condone the senseless violence and carnage that these _Jericho_ missiles would undoubtedly cause but we must remember something: Tony Stark is described as the son of a ‘legendary’ weapons designer. The precedent is already there; as far as we know, he may simply have towed the path that best allowed him to live up to what he believed was his father’s legacy.”

“I… I’m not exactly happy to say this but… I think Kaldur’s right.” M’gann said softly. “His parents are dead and all this time we’ve only seen him relate with two people that could be called his friends. He… I don’t think he’s happy.”

“He’s using his arrogant playboy act to hide the vulnerability of the little kid that never grew up the way others did.” Bruce stated quietly. “He’s the best at what he sets his mind to and the only thing on his mind is fulfilling his father’s legacy.”

No one needed to ask the man how he came to that conclusion.

He was, after all, the only one who could really claim to understand the genius billionaire onscreen.

 **_**T** _ ** **_**ony then checked his phone to reveal Obadiah in bed, most likely naked, as his chest was** _ ** **__ ** **_**bare.** _ **

**_**"Tony."** _ **

**_**"Obie, what are you doing up?" Tony asked.** _ **

**_**"I couldn't sleep till I found out how it went. How'd it go?" Obie questioned.** _ **

**_**"It went great. Looks like it's gonna be an early Christmas." Tony assured him** _ **

**_**"Hey! Way to go, my boy! I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" Obie asked.** _ **

**_**"Why aren't you wearing those pajamas I got you?" Tony asked playfully.** _ **

**_**"Good night, Tony." Obie said, slightly annoyed, before Tony hung up and entered a** _ ** **_**n armored vehicle** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Hey, Tony."** _ ** **_**It was Rhodes, Tony’s friend from the plane, dressed up in full military fatigues.** _ **

**_**"I'm sorry, this is the 'fun-vee.' The 'hum-drum-vee' is back there." Tony said,** _ ** **_**gesturing** _ ** **_**to ano** _ ** **_**ther** _ ** **__ ** **_**vehicle** _ ** **_**behind them.** _ **

**_**"Nice job."** _ **

**_**Tony nodded. "See you back at base."** _ **

“It seems the colonel considers Stark’s career path as the right one.” Clark pointed out.

“He’s a soldier.” Oliver shrugged. “If his friend creates weapons then, regardless of how the guy feels about it personally, his official stance has to align with a ‘better have them in our hands than in the enemy’s’ kind of thing.”

“That doesn’t make it right.” Zatanna argued hotly.

“Would you rather have those weapons in the hands of someone like Bane?”

Dick’s question sent chills down everyone’s spine.

Bane had, with regular weapons and mercenaries, no less, laid siege to Gotham for three weeks a year and a half before. The man had an innate grasp of tactics that, when combined with his insane cunning, had nearly brought Gotham to its knees.

With _Jericho_ missiles, it was not inconceivable that the man could hold the world to a ransom.

 **_**While the Cave remained silent in the aftermath of Dick’s comment, the movie rolled on,** _ ** **_**events from the prologue** _ ** **_**flashing across the screen followed by** _ ** **_**shaky, blurry images of a horri** _ ** **_**fic** _ ** **_**surgery being performed on Tony wh** _ ** **_**ile he retained** _ ** **_**conscious** _ ** **_**ness. His screams rang out loudly as he jerked wildly even as a hand slowly placed a strange metallic disc onto his chest.** _ ** **_**Finally, a rag was pulled off of Tony's face** _ ** **__ ** **_**as los** _ ** **_**t** _ ** **_**consciousness** _ ** **_**and** _ ** **_**everything fad** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**to black.** _ **

“I… I’m not sure whether to still be upset or not after that.” Artemis said softly, her face a little green after the procedure they had just seen flashes of. “That… that was…” Wally had to hug her to himself as she shuddered in revulsion.

Much like with the ambush earlier, most member of the Team had seen quite a bit but not much of such graphic images. For all their experience at crime fighting, actual instances of blood and gore were all but nonexistent.

Dick, who _had_ borne witness to some truly disturbing sights in the aftermath of Professor Pyg’s… procedures… remained silent.

For Diana and Clark, they were wondering what the billionaire’s state of mind would be following that procedure: he was a civilian, untested and untrained. His pain threshold was probably the same as a normal human’s - _lower_ , even, considering his financial status- and they knew how pain could break a person.

Oliver, Dinah and Bruce had a completely different line of thought, though, one that they knew each other was thinking with a single glance.

Like they had at different points in their lives, Tony Stark was about to go through a crucible, a harsh trial that would change him forever _if he survived_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I didn’t show equal screen time for everyone but that’s most because I tried to fit myself into their heads and came to a conclusion: Wally, Artemis and Oliver are the chatterboxes who will comment on whatever catches their fancy. Diana, Clark, Dick and Dinah are more thoughtful and will initiate commentary when an important topic comes up, otherwise they respond to other’s comments. Bruce and Kaldur are the ponderous types who will only initiate commentary if they feel it is really necessary. Conner, Zatanna and M’gann are more sporadic so they jump in as they please.
> 
> You’ll also note that sometimes, the events happening in the Cave (while they watch) are occasionally referenced in the movie [take the last movie section for example] and vice versa: that’s just to make the writing flow a bit better for me; it changes nothing in the actual ‘movie’.
> 
> Special thanks to Katana of the Blade for the Iron Man transcript (I made a few edits as I went along K!) and to Mr. War for working on this with me.
> 
> Later guys.
> 
> The Ethereal Lord.
> 
> patreon.com/theethereallord 


	3. Breakout

- _Recognized: 05 Green Lantern; 14 Green Lantern-_

“I swear, Hal, if I have to hear that thing refer to us by the same name one more time-”

“Dammit John! What do you want me to do? I didn’t ask the Guardians to stick us all with the same nom-de-guerre! Besides, you never did tell me what you wanted to have as a name anyway!”

The Team and the Justice League members present turned as one to the newcomers, the Green Lantern duo of John Stewart and Hal Jordan who, thanks to their argument, hadn’t noticed the somewhat sombre atmosphere they had walked into.

“Hal, John.” Clark greeted as he rose to meet them. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Hey Big Man!” Hal threw his hand up for a high five only to remember midway that Clark wasn’t exactly the most exuberant member of the League and turning the high five into a waving motion that he directed at everyone else. “What’s up?”

“I’d wager that he would like to know if we found anything.” John stated, rolling his eyes at his fellow green-clad officer. “Unfortunately, Clark, whatever Vandal Savage had us doing during those hours is going to have to stay unknown just a little longer.”

By this time, the other League members present had joined them, with the Team staying away out of respect for their mentors. “You guys haven’t found anything?” Dinah asked with a frown.

“I’m afraid not, Dee.” Hal sighed. “I’m beginning to think you might not have _done_ anything.” He added. “Maybe he just wanted you offworld for some reason?”

Diana didn’t think so, though. “Vandal Savage may seem like a brute but history has proven that he is every bit the coolly cunning mastermind that Ra’as al Ghul is. I find it difficult to believe that he simply tossed us into space for some unknown reason.”

“I agree with that, Princess, however Hal’s argument is quite logical.” John stated before gesturing subtly to his partner.

“I’m just saying that maybe we’re looking at this all wrong.” Hal explained, taking over from John. “What if the entire reason Savage took all seven of you guys offworld was to allow him to complete some nefarious project right here on Earth? I mean, he had the rest of the League subjugated already; maybe he just removed what he felt could be the most likely stumbling blocks to whatever he wanted to get done here.”

The angle was a fresh one and it clearly got them all thinking.

Unfortunately, they were not alone and the members of the Team that were present were honestly ore invested in the movie than in the League business.

Put simply, Wally hit the play button.

**_**The darkness slowly cleared to reveal Tony, unconscious on his bed with a tube going up his** _ ** **__ ** **_**nose. His eyes suddenly flickered open as he looked around with wide eyes, curling his fingers.** _ **

“What the- hey!” Oliver yelled as he dashed back to the TV area, vaulting over a couch as he went. “We were watching that together!”

“ _We_ have a curfew. You don’t.” Artemis shrugged, though Wally did pause the movie so that everyone else could get settled in.

“Hey! Is this another Death Battle thing?” Hal asked as he casually willed a green couch construct for himself and John into existence, giving them comfortable seats to join in the movie watching. “Who’s killing themselves this time, GA and Robin Hood?”

Anticipating that the two men would likely be with them till the end of the movie -and frankly not wanting to sit through a recap so soon- M’gann said: “I’ll go get more snacks.”

The rest of the Team immediately decided to take a walk to stretch, join their Martian friend in the kitchen or simply hit the loo while the adults brought the two Lanterns up to speed.

Finally, after ten minutes of recaps, the watchers were ready to hit the play button.

**_**He** _ ** **_**tried breathing, felt an obstruction of sorts in his breathing and reached up to his face. Upon feeling the** _ ** **_**tube** _ ** **_**in his nose, he** _ ** **_**grabb** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **__ ** **_**at it** _ ** **_**and** _ ** **_**began** _ ** **_**pulling it out,** _ ** **_**removing** _ ** **_**at least two feet of** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**tube** _ ** **_**between pained gasps** _ ** **_**before finally** _ ** **_**getting it out.** _ **

“You said his convoy was attacked in Afghanistan?” John asked. When he received positive responses, he narrowed his eyes. “Then it looks like whoever took out his escort clearly wanted him alive. I didn’t see the surgery but the little we just saw is better than the medical facilities middle eastern insurgents usually have by degrees.”

**_**He noticed a cup** _ ** **_**and a flask** _ ** **_**on the table next to him** _ ** **_**and felt a pang of thirst all but slam into him** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**Weak, shaky hand reached out in an** _ ** **_**attempt** _ ** **__ ** **_**to grab** _ ** **_**hold of the cup** _ ** **_**only to knock it to the** _ ** **__ ** **_**floor** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Another wave of exhaustion hit him again and h** _ ** **_**e coughed** _ ** **_**harsh** _ ** **_**ly,** _ ** **_**sending** _ ** **_**more** _ ** **_**heated air** _ ** **_**puffing into the air.** _ ** **_**Midway through the coughs, he tried to roll over -perhaps to ease the strain on himself- and, for the first time since his return to consciousness, he realized that he was not alone.** _ **

**_**The camera angle changed to show what had caught his eye: a** _ ** **_**bald** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**man** _ ** **__ ** **_**with** _ ** **_**tanned skin** _ ** **_**and glasses was the** _ ** **_**re, the mirror opposite him showing a lean, intelligent face in the middle of self grooming. Shaving, to be precise.** _ **

**_**The pang of thirst returned and** _ ** **_**Tony reached for the cup on the floor** _ ** **_**only to stop when he felt a tug on his chest.** _ **

**_**As metallic objects rattled, the balding man paused his shaving and locked eyes with Tony through the mirror.** _ ** **_**"I wouldn't do that if I were you."** _ ** **_**He** _ ** **_**warned** _ ** **_**simply** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**He wasn’t sure why he did it, driven by some morbid curiosity perhaps, or simply his deep-seated rebel tendencies kicking in but he** _ ** **__ ** **_**chose to follow the wires with his eyes, looking for where they ended.** _ **

**_**A car** _ ** **__ ** **_**battery.** _ **

**_**He had a car battery hooked up to his chest through some freaky wires-** _ ** **_**He** _ ** **_**didn’t allow himself to complete that line of thought before** _ ** **_**claw** _ ** **_**ing frantically** _ ** **_**at his chest, pulling away the dirty robe and ripping the bandages off** _ ** **_**in an eerie parallel to how he had discovered his gaping chest wound earlier** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**Unlike the last time where the pain induced shock dulled his senses, though,** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **__ ** **_**gasped for air and grunted in pain** _ ** **_**with** _ ** **_**every move** _ ** **_**he made. He didn’t stop, though, until his own chest was laid bare to him -more importantly, he stared at the** _ ** **_**rusty** _ ** **_**metal** _ ** **_**in his chest, dried** _ ** **_**, flaky** _ ** **_**blood all around it.** _ **

“What the heck is that thing?” Conner asked with a frown. He had heard of implants and he knew of prosthetics but this…?

No one seemed to know what the metal/car battery rig was for, especially since it seemed attached to his chest.

John had a little theory on the magnet’s function: having served in the military before joining the Corps, he knew about human weapons and their effects and while he wouldn’t bet on it, he was pretty certain that the bomb that had apparently knocked the billionaire out earlier was a fragmentation grenade -well, a variant of it and now the genius had tiny metal shards in his blood stream.

**_**Tony gasped in pain and horror, shock clear on his face as he** _ ** **_**recalled flashes of the** _ ** **_**hell** _ ** **_**he had experienced during** _ ** **_**th** _ ** **_**e** _ ** **_**operation.** _ **

**_**And** _ ** **_**had the sinking feeling in his gut that the pain had only just begun** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**The scene changed to show** _ ** **_**a fire** _ ** **_**, the flames crackling** _ ** **_**as someone** _ ** **_**stirred some dark brown gruel** _ ** **_**while whistling a merry** _ ** **__ ** **_**tune. Tony** _ ** **_**was now sitting** _ ** **_**up, fingering the** _ ** **_**device** _ ** **_**in his chest** _ ** **_**even as** _ ** **_**the man** _ ** **_**at** _ ** **_**the fire was revealed** _ ** **__ ** **_**to be the** _ ** **_**shaving** _ ** **_**man.** _ **

**_**"What the hell did you do to me?" Tony** _ ** **_**asked** _ ** **_**weakly.** _ ** **_**He had no doubt meant it as a demand but was too weak to make it sound as such.** _ **

**_**The man chuckled at this. "What I did? What I did is to save your life. I removed all the shrapnel** _ ** **__ ** **_**I could, but there's a lot left, and it's headed into your atrial septum."** _ ** **_**He picked up a small vial from a table in the distance and walked toward** _ ** **_**Tony.** _ **

**_**"Here, want to see? I have a souvenir. Take a look." He said, showing Tony a small vial filled** _ ** **__ ** **_**with tiny, but very sharp metal shards.** _ **

“Oh God!” Zatanna said as she fought the urge to hurl. “He has those inside him?”

“I’ve never seen a case like this here but it’s not too far off from reality.” John stated, his experience on the frontlines coming back to him. “Shrapnel’s usually in larger chunks that are flung outward with the force of whatever explosion propels them.”

“Considering the explosive yield of the average hand grenade, those metal bits would fly through the air at speeds comparable to bullets.” Dick said, though the slightly glazed look in his eyes showed that he was speaking more to himself than anyone else. “They’d be like supersonic saw blades buzzing through the air; they’d rip through just about anything in their way.”

John nodded before gesturing at the vial being held up to the light on the screen. “These, though… looks like someone weaponized the shrapnel itself, getting it to stay within the bloodstream and gradually poison the victims from the inside out.”

Once again, the members of the Team were at a conundrum, uncertain whether to hate the weapons designer for creating the weapons or to feel bad for the man now suffering from the weapon.

**_**"I've seen many wounds like that in my village. We call them the walking dead because it takes** _ ** **__ ** **_**about a week for the barbs to reach the vital organs." The man explained.** _ **

**_**"What is this?" Tony asked, looking down at the thing in his chest.** _ **

**_**"That is an electromagnet, hooked up to a car battery, and it's keeping the shrapnel from** _ ** **__ ** **_**entering your heart." The man explained.** _ **

“Baldie’s gotta be some sort of medical genius to have cooked that up.” Oliver hummed. “And in such poor conditions too.”

“How’d you figure _that_?” Hal asked.

“Well, Stark’s seems to be a pretty well-versed tech-head besides being a top notch weapons designer. For him to be surprised by the function of the gizmo in his chest -especially when it’s designed to keep victims of his creations alive- means that said doohickey’s not very common.”

“Plus, the doctor didn’t call it any special name.” Clark added. “If those things were more common, I think they’d have a commonly known medical name.”

“Like defibrillators?” M’gann asked to which the Man of Steel nodded.

**_**Tony at him, then back to the device in his chest, buttoning up his shirt, before he noticed a** _ ** **__ ** **_**camera. The other man looked to the camera as well, then back to Stark. "That's right. Smile.** _ ** **__ ** **_**We met once, you know** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**A** _ ** **_**t a technical conference in Bern."** _ **

**_**"I don't remember." Tony said.** _ **

**_**"No, you wouldn't.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ ** **_**The man chuckled. “** _ ** **_**If I had been that drunk, I wouldn't have been able to stand, much less give a** _ ** **__ ** **_**lecture on integrated circuits."** _ **

“Now _that_ I can relate to.” Hal smirked almost nostalgically. “Xander never got over how I got a better presentation score than he did while drunk out of my skull!”

“...and whatever respect I had for you just dropped by a few notches.” Wally sighed.

**_**"Where are we?" Tony asked.** _ ** **_**B** _ ** **_**efore the man could answer, the door** _ ** **_**groaned with the sound of locks being undone** _ ** **_**. Tony tensed, a** _ ** **_**s did the** _ ** **_**man with him.** _ ** **_**The bespectacled man seemed to know what was coming, though, as he grabbed the billionaire and yanked him to his feet urgently.** _ ** **_**"Come on, stand up. Stand up!** _ ** **__ ** **_**Just do as I do." He instructed** _ ** **_**as he steadily lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender** _ ** **_**. "Come on, put your hands up."** _ **

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**was clearly** _ ** **_**agitated** _ ** **_**about whatever was going on but the sounds of the locks prompted him to do as the man said.** _ **

**_**He had only just gotten his hands up when t** _ ** **_**he door opened and a large man approached with two armed guards, more pouring in behind** _ ** **__ ** **_**him.** _ **

**_**It was a clearly intimidating sight yet something more chilling stood out to the weapons manufacturer.** _ ** **_**"Those are my guns.** _ ** **_**” He stated, baffled as to how his creations could have ended up in the hands of these men.** _ ** **__ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**How did they get my guns?"** _ **

“Looks like the ‘genius’ needs a lesson on the real-world.” Hal stated, every trace of humor gone from his tone. “Doesn’t matter how hard you try, weapons will always get into the hands of the other guy.”

“Hal’s right.” Diana nodded with a tired sigh. “We’ve tried everything at the UN but unless we’re flat out cracking down on absolutely every kind of weaponry whatsoever, the fact remains that some weapons -particularly firearms- will always slip through the cracks.”

**_**The large man walked up to Tony, speaking in a language** _ ** **_**the billionaire** _ ** **_**didn't understand. He** _ ** **__ ** **_**sound** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **__ ** **_**non** _ ** **_**threatening,** _ ** **_**almost glib but the playboy immediately noted the almost mocking undertone in his words** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"He says, 'Welcome, Tony Stark, the most famous mass murderer in the history of America.' He** _ ** **__ ** **_**is honored." The** _ ** **_**bald** _ ** **_**ing man translated.** _ **

“The platitudes are false as his smile.” Kaldur muttered darkly. “He wants Stark to build the _Jericho_ for him.”

**_**Kaldur’s words were proven an instant later as the** _ ** **_**large man gestured to Tony while showing him a picture of the Jericho missile** _ ** **_**, a faux-generous** _ ** **_**smile on his face. "He wants you to build the missile. The Jericho missile that you** _ ** **__ ** **_**demonstrated. This one" The shaving man explained.** _ **

**_**"I refuse." Tony said.** _ **

“That’s not going to end well.” Oliver winced, knowing how terrorist-slash-criminal types responded to being denied. Honestly, they were worse than little kids: at least kids tended to just bawl their eyes out; these guys would almost always resort to torture of some sort.

**_**Suddenly,** _ ** **_**Tony's head was shoved into** _ ** **_**a vat of water, his eyes wide with terror as he fought to hold his breath.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Above him, h** _ ** **_**is captors shouted** _ ** **_**and made demands in their language** _ ** **_**but** _ ** **_**their voices sounded** _ ** **_**muffled** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**distant.** _ **

**_**He desperately tried to hold his breath but beyond learning to swim, he had no true skill at holding his breath, a fact that was made worse by their forceful pushing.** _ **

**_**He held out as long as he could, eyes growing more and more desperate, but, in the end, the burning in his lungs triggered his primal need to breathe, to survive.** _ **

**_**He** _ ** **_**screamed** _ ** **_**but with his head still forcibly submerged, he only succeeded in taking in large gulps of water.** _ **

“Oh God!” Zatanna whispered in horror. “They’re killing him!”

“Waterboarding.” Dick and John stated simultaneously; John’s tone flat and dispassionate while Dick sounded angry, something his girlfriend picked up on and questioned.

“I’ve… some of Black Mask’s goons once caught me out on patrol last year.” Dick answered tersely. “They took me to their boss who saw me as a way to get to know Batman’s true identity.”

“They tortured you.” Kaldur said, connecting the dots faster than anyone else.

“Bruce was there in less than twenty minutes but…”

He didn’t need to say more; each of them could imagine how long those twenty minutes must have seemed.

As for Zatanna, the young witch was seriously considering the possibility of tricking her father into believing that this ‘Black Mask’ was a demonic entity of some sort and getting him to banish the man’s soul into oblivion.

“I forced him to rest for a week but-”

“If he’s anything like you, Bruce, he probably saw that as being thought of as weak and fought tooth and nail to get back onto the field.” Dinah replied quietly as the Team gathered round their teammate. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that ended up being one of the reasons he wanted to strike out on his own so badly.”

“What do you mean, D?” Oliver asked.

“Well, from some of our discussions, I’ve come to understand that Dick’s a very independent person -even without Bruce’s influence, he’d have grown up that way.” Dinah explained. “He’s also lived in the shadow of someone else for most of his life; first the Grayson family, then Bruce and then the Batman’s. It chafed at his independence and it probably got worse when Bruce tried to sit him out after this Black Mask thing.”

Whatever else would have been said on the matter was tabled for later when Wally nodded at her, signaling for her to play the movie. The Team was together, now, each of them having moved to sit around their young friend in a silent show of support.

Dinah found herself feeling extremely proud of them.

**_**The** _ ** **_**men** _ ** **__ ** **_**yank** _ ** **_**ed Tony out** _ ** **_**of the water** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**giving him a chance to** _ ** **_**gasp for air and** _ ** **_**cough** _ ** **_**out some water** _ ** **_**before** _ ** **_**push** _ ** **_**ing him** _ ** **_**under** _ ** **_**again.** _ ** **__ ** **_**This time, water splashed on** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**electromagnet’s** _ ** **_**wires, causing it to** _ ** **_**spark** _ ** **__ ** **_**up** _ ** **_**and** _ ** **_**sending a** _ ** **_**surge** _ ** **_**of** _ ** **_**electricity through** _ ** **_**its bearer and** _ ** **_**causing** _ ** **_**him** _ ** **_**to convulse violently.** _ ** **_**Images flashed by and in the background, Pepper Potts voice cried out:** _ ** **_**"Tony!"** _ ** **_**before they yanked him out again. This time, they forced a sack over his head and dragged him down a dark corridor, the balding man who had acted as a translator earlier, being forced to march out with him.** _ **

“Looks like he’s accepted.” Clark sighed, having wished the genius could have held out but knowing how difficult it must have been for the man.

**_**Now a** _ ** **_**t** _ ** **_**the mouth** _ ** **_**of the cave** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **__ ** **_**the large terrorist who had mocked him earlier made a casual gesture that prompted him men to yank the sack off the billionaire’s head** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**The sudden exposure to the brightness of the sun, especially after his harrowing experiences inside the cave** _ ** **_**him** _ ** **_**left him disoriented** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**as evidenced by his rapid** _ ** **_**blinking** _ ** **_**and the tinny ringing in his ears** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**It took a few moments for him to recover and allow him to really take in his su** _ ** **_**rroundings.** _ **

**_**It was every bit as bleak as he had expected.** _ **

**_**He was in a terrorist** _ ** **__ ** **_**camp, surrounded by mountains. There were several straw and wood** _ ** **_**en** _ ** **_**stalls strewn about** _ ** **_**each** _ ** **_**housing all manner of weapons: guns, grenades, missiles, etc. People were yelling in all** _ ** **__ ** **_**different languages and herding around these stalls.** _ **

**_**He** _ ** **__ ** **_**staggered and stumbled behind** _ ** **_**the leader of his captors a** _ ** **_**s he struggled to follow the man,** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**car** _ ** **_**battery** _ ** **_**in his hands upsetting his balance every step of the way** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**Through it all, he tried to keep an eye out for something familiar, a landmark or something that could help him identify the location of the camp however everywhere he looked, he saw the same brand, the same sigil practically damning him: Stark Industries.** _ **

**_**Whether the weapons were in the stalls or in the hands of his captors, the brand remained the same:** _ ** **_**Stark Industries.** _ **

“Put’s a whole new spin on the ‘enslaved by your own tech’ trope.” Hal muttered darkly.

It was definitely a bit of gallows humor, yes, but they all knew that the man wasn’t far off the mark.

Tony Stark’s captors had taken him using his own weapons and now they wanted him to _make_ weapons for them.

**_**The soldiers suddenly stopped as they noticed Tony, readying their weapons. Tony stared at** _ ** **__ ** **_**the weapons, the ones he created to be used against these people, confused and wondering** _ ** **__ ** **_**how** _ ** **_**t** _ ** **_**he** _ ** **_**y** _ ** **_**got them as he was led through the camp.** _ **

**_**The leader then** _ ** **_**finally turned** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**Tony, a stern glare replacing the insufferable grin on his face as he spoke** _ ** **_**. "He** _ ** **__ ** **_**wants to know what you think." T** _ ** **_**he balding man** _ ** **_**translated.** _ **

**_**"I think you got a lot of my weapons." Tony replied** _ ** **_**coldly** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**The leader spoke loudly and confidently as he circled Tony, who turned to face him. "He says** _ ** **__ ** **_**they have everything you need to build the Jericho missile. He wants you to make the list of** _ ** **__ ** **_**materials. He says for you to start working immediately, and when you're done, he will set you** _ ** **__ ** **_**free." The doctor said looking at Tony.** _ **

**_**The leader smirked at Tony** _ ** **_**as he stretched his hand out for a handshake** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**On the surface, it was clearly a do or die affair however Tony knew it was much worse as he stretched his hand forward and accepted the deal.** _ **

**_**"No, he won't." Tony said knowingly.** _ **

**_**"No, he won't." The** _ ** **_**translator** _ ** **_**confirmed** _ ** **_**even as the** _ ** **_**leader kept up his smirk** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“He’s right.” Oliver nodded, his characteristic smirk absent. “These terrorists types never keep to their word.”

“And there’s a criminal type that does?” Artemis retorted, thoughts of her father and her sister flashing through her mind.

“The Rogues tend to do so.” Wally said quietly. “Not every time, mind you, and certainly not about stealing and stuff but if they tell you that they’ll let you go, they generally will.”

“Huh. Well what do you know, a criminal group with at least _some_ form of honor.” Hal snorted.

**_**The movie continued, now showing** _ ** **_**Tony and the** _ ** **_**translato** _ ** **_**r tinkering with** _ ** **_**bits of machinery lying around the barely** _ ** **_**lit** _ ** **_**cave as the light from their little fire flickered and danced across** _ ** **_**Tony's face.** _ **

**_**"I'm sure they're looking for you, Stark. But they will** _ ** **__ ** **_**never find you in these mountains."** _ ** **_**The statement was made without any heat or trace of mockery: to the translator, those words were as factual as the sun’s existence. Surprisingly,** _ ** **_**Tony s** _ ** **_**imply stared into the fire, not so much as twitching in response to the man’s words.** _ **

**_**The response had** _ ** **_**the man sigh** _ ** **_**ing.** _ ** **_**"Look, what you just saw, that is your legacy, Stark. Your life's work, in the hands of those** _ ** **__ ** **_**murderers. Is that how you want to go out? Is this the last act of defiance of the great Tony** _ ** **__ ** **_**Stark? Or are you going to do something about it?"** _ **

**_**"Why should I do anything? They're going to kill me, you, either way. And if they don't, I'll** _ ** **__ ** **_**probably be dead in a week."** _ ** **_**Much like the man’s statement earlier, Tony delivered his rebuttal without any heat: it was simple logic and nothing more** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Surprisingly, his words earned him a smile from the older man.** _ ** **_**"Well, then** _ ** **_**, t** _ ** **_**his is a very important week for** _ ** **__ ** **_**you, isn't it?"** _ **

“I recognize that look!” Wally hollered enthusiastically as, in the movie, Tony’s despondent stare was replaced by a determined one. “The birth of a badass ladies and- OW! I swear Artemis, if I lose a few IQ points-”

“You’d have had it coming.” She smirked as she got up and pulled him over to the couch they had shared earlier. “Now, get cozy Baywatch, cause we’re watching the birth of this badass together.”

Most of the others in the room chuckled at the duo’s antics even as the rest of the Team split up to return to their old positions.

**_**The men were now coming down the corridors, carrying the tools that Tony would need.** _ **

**_**"If this is going to be my work station, I want it well-lit. I want these up. I need welding gear. I** _ ** **__ ** **_**don't care if it's acetylene or propane. I need a soldering station. I need helmets. I'** _ ** **_**m** _ ** **_**gonna need** _ ** **__ ** **_**goggles. I would like a smelting cup. I need two sets of precision tools." Tony listed.** _ **

“I don’t know, Wally,” M’gann said skeptically. “It looks like he’s getting ready to do what they asked.”

“Um… M’gann? I don’t think he’s working with them.” Conner stated quietly. “He’s acting the part but something about how he’s ordering them about makes me think he’s not about to do this for them.”

“Conner’s right.” Clark added, nodding slightly to his clone whose face flushed in embarrassment. “Tony Stark isn’t just _asking_ them to move things around or procure items for him, he’s _demanding_ it. That’s a level of confidence that really only comes when you’re absolutely sure of something.”

**_**The** _ ** **_**scene changed to show Tony now hard at work on dismantling a** _ ** **_**Stark Industries missile on the table** _ ** **_**, a pair of finger-less gloves on as he worked.** _ ** **_**"How many languages do you speak?"** _ **

**_**"A lot." The** _ ** **_**translato** _ ** **_**r replied. "But apparently, not enough for this place. They speak Arabic, Urdu,** _ ** **__ ** **_**Dari, Pashto, Mongolian, Farsi, Russian." He listed.** _ **

“... that is a _lot_ of languages.” Zatanna blinked before leaning into her boyfriend. “Is that normal? Or is it a difference between our worlds?”

“It’s pretty par for the course, really.” Dick shrugged. “I’ve never been there but I know that Urdu, Dari and Pashto are pretty common in Afghanistan. Arabic’s pretty common in the Middle East too so the only one I’m not sure of is Russian.”

The dark haired beauty stared at her boyfriend for a few seconds before planting a little kiss on his cheek. “You’re a walking encyclopedia aren’t you?”

**_**While the doctor listed the languages,** _ ** **_**Tony removed the explosive from the casing of the missile "Who are these people?"** _ **

**_**"They are your loyal customers, sir. They call themselves the Ten Rings." He explained.** _ ** **_**The unexpected answer had** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**glance** _ ** **_**at his companion with a strange look on his face, his eyebrows raised as he removed** _ ** **__ ** **_**something from the explosive.** _ **

Artemis snorted upon hearing that. “They sound like something Ra’as could get behind.”

“If Tony Stark were a living person on our world, I have no doubt in my mind that the Demon would be one in a long line of people that would have abducted him.” Kaldur stated.

**_**As they worked, the** _ ** **_**leader** _ ** **_**of the terrorists, alongside** _ ** **_**two** _ ** **_**of his** _ ** **_**men** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**were** _ ** **_**watching the billionaire work thanks to the camera feed being relayed to them through** _ ** **_**a small screen** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"You know, we might be more productive if you include me in the planning process." The man** _ ** **__ ** **_**said looking at the billionaire, fidgeting a bit as he watched Tony do whatever he was doing.** _ **

**_**"Uh-huh." Tony** _ ** **_**’s dismissive hum seemed less rude thanks to the almost frenzied intensity with which** _ ** **__ ** **_**he worked as he** _ ** **_**slid the entirety of his arm into** _ ** **_**a missile pulled out a strange looking component** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**A few moments later, the genius was seated at the** _ ** **_**desk** _ ** **_**provided for him** _ ** **_**, carefully tinkering with** _ ** **_**the same component** _ ** **_**as** _ ** **_**the balding man** _ ** **_**stood to his left.** _ **

**_**A few seconds later, Tony tossed practically the entire component away with a casual** _ ** **_**"Okay, we don't need this."** _ **

“... he’s not sane, is he?” Hal said somewhat rhetorically. “I mean, he goes through the trouble of pulling that entire thing out just to toss it away?”

“He may not be sane but I don’t think he’s straitjacket-worthy either.” Dinah murmured. “I think he’s more of a ‘method to my madness’ type than the foaming at the mouth type.”

“You realize you just defined most of the inmates at Arkham, right?” Bruce asked with a deadpan expression.

**_**Dinah’s words were proven to be accurate when the billionaire held up a tiny, fragile looking metal up with a pair of tweezers.** _ **

**_**"What is that?"** _ **

**_**"** _ ** ****That** ** **** **_**i** _ ** **_**s palladium," He** _ ** **_**repli** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**"0.15 grams. We need at least 1.6, so why don't you go break down the other 11?"** _ **

“Wait. So he basically does all that, ignoring the old man as he goes, _just_ to order him around a few seconds later?” Hal asked. “You called him an asshole but… damn! I think he’s worse than me!”

Artemis just sighed. “Floor’s still open on whether or not he’s forgivable.”

**_**A man was watching the security feed, looking rather confused. He** _ ** **__ ** **_**spoke in his own language** _ ** **_**and** _ ** **_**subtitles** _ ** **_**faded in,** _ ** **_**translating** _ ** **_**his words into English:** _ ** **_**"What are they doing?"** _ **

**_**"Worki** _ ** **_**ng.”** _ ** **_**Another man said.** _ **

**_**Back in the workshop,** _ ** **_**Tony was** _ ** **_**seen** _ ** **_**mixing something in a bowl with his hands, before** _ ** **_**handing it over** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**doctor** _ ** **_**who heated** _ ** **__ ** **_**it over a fire.** _ ** **_**Sometime later, the man reached into the flames with a pair of tongs and gently lifted a ceramic cup out of the glowing embers.** _ **

**_**"Careful. Careful, we only get one shot at this." Tony instructed** _ ** **_**, visibly agitated** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Relax. I have steady hands. Why do you think you're still alive?" The man replied with a bit of** _ ** **__ ** **_**snark as he poured the liquid into another bowl.** _ **

**_**"** _ ** **_**So…** _ ** **_**What do I call you?" Tony asked the man** _ ** **_**, placing his ever-present battery onto the table as the liquid slowly set** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"My name is Yinsen." The man introduced himself at last.** _ **

“Finally!” Wally whooped. “I was tired of thinking of him as the ‘balding man.’

“Dude could you be any more rude?” Dick asked with a playful eye-roll.

“Can you honestly convince me that whatever you thought of was better?” When Dick didn’t respond, Wally plastered an infuriatingly smug grin on his mug and relaxed onto the couch with his girlfriend.

He was a big boy after all; he didn’t need to throw more words out, he simply took the win as it was.

**_**"Yinsen. Nice to meet you."** _ **

**_**"Nice to meet you, too." Yinsen said.** _ **

**_**Tony was now working intently as he pressed a small tool to a metal circular shape. He then** _ ** **__ ** **_**pressed this tool to another piece of metal in his hand, this one quite a bit thinner. Yinsen was** _ ** **__ ** **_**watching in awe and confusion the whole time at Tony's work as Tony had a steely look of** _ ** **__ ** **_**concentration and determination. Finally, a blue light illuminated Tony's face** _ ** **_**l** _ ** **_**ooked down** _ ** **__ ** **_**at the small, but brilliant device sitting on the table in front of him. "That does** _ ** **__ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**o** _ ** **_**t look like a** _ ** **__ ** **_**Jericho missile." He said.** _ **

**_**"That's because it's a miniaturized arc reactor. I got a big one powering my factory at home. It** _ ** **__ ** **_**should keep the shrapnel out of my heart." Tony said and gloated a bit.** _ **

**_**"But what could it generate?" Yinsen asked curiously.** _ **

**_**"If my math is right and it always is, three gigajoules per second." Tony answered.** _ **

Wally practically fell out of his seat in shock. "Holy~! That tiny thing?!"

"Jesus-! Wally!" Of course, seeing as Artemis was in his arms when he spazzed out -and closer to the edge of the couch too- she was understandably pissed at nearly being pushed off. "Mind explaining that to the non-geeks in the house, Baywatch?"

"A joule is the work required to exert a force of one newton for a distance of one metre." Dick explained. He was every bit as shocked his speedster friend but, being a protege of the Dark Knight, he was much better at hiding his shock. "A giga-joule is equal to a billion joules."

"In 'I'm a clone that doesn't understand complex science talk' terms please?" Conner drawled.

"One GJ is enough power to light a sixty watt bulb for six months straight." Clark explained. When he saw the arched looked on Bruce's face, the Kryptonian shrugged. "I took AP physics back in high school. Dropped it when I had to pick between classes and Pa's farm."

**_**"That could run your heart for 50 lifetimes." Yinsen said, astonished.** _ **

"That's probably an exaggeration." Oliver mused as he ran the numbers through his head. "Fifteen's closer to the mark and definitely no more than twelve if those lifetimes are high-intensity athletic lives."

"Lemme guess, AP Biology?" Hal asked sarcastically.

"Nah, had to learn a ton of medical trivia to impress this hot doctor I once knew." The Archer shrugged. "Never got past first base but I got hooked on learning bits and pieces of medical stuff. Plus, it helps me not look like a total idiot when I read coroner reports so..."

"How is it that I find that easier to believe than Clark's AP thing?" Diana muttered. Dinah had no response to that so she shrugged and hit the play button.

**_**"Yeah. Or something big for 15 minutes." Tony said, indicating he had an escape plan.** _ ** **_**Reaching off-screen, he grabbed** _ ** **_**a large bundle of papers, which he laid down on a table, moving out of the** _ ** **__ ** **_**way for Yinsen. "This is our ticket out of here."** _ ** **_**He** _ ** **_**said as** _ ** **_**the doctor** _ ** **__ ** **_**stared at** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **__ ** **_**blueprints** _ ** **_**, trying to make heads or tails of the scattered schematics** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Curiosity took over as he asked** _ ** **_**"What is it?"** _ **

**_**"Flatten them out and look." Tony** _ ** **_**stated with an understated air of confidence that had the doctor** _ ** **_**compl** _ ** **_**ying. The papers were quickly flattened out to reveal** _ ** **_**the blueprint of a large and bulky suit of armor.** _ **

"Smart." Bruce admitted. "Keeping only portions of the schematics on separate sheets and ensuring that it only makes sense if they are overlaid in a specific way."

"He's not as green as we thought." Dinah agreed with a nod. "That's good to see actually."

"I'm sorry, that's what you're impressed by?!" Conner almost shouted, his eyes glued to the suit frozen on the screen. "He's about to create that while stuck in the middle of nowhere with pretty much improvised equipment that he's going to try to use to bust out of an enemy stronghold and you're impressed by how he's hiding his plans?"

"Please!" Oliver snorted with an eye roll. "This system of caves is hardly a stronghold. I'm pretty sure I could break out of there within an hour, half that if I've got my equipment."

"That depends on whether or not they were prepared for you." Kaldur pointed out. "Considering how well-laid out their plans have been to this point, it is quite possible that they might have a way of incarcerating that takes into account your skills."

"Kaldur'ahm speaks with wisdom beyond his years." Diana continued. "These... Ten Rings people planned for a frightened civilian who would capitulate to their demands. They did not expect that this doctor -Yinsen- would help galvanize their hostage's resolve neither would they have anticipated such a unique method of escape."

"Almost like the Riddler's ambush." Zatanna agreed. "Honestly, we got lucky that we had a few aces up our sleeves, huh Richard?"

"Huh?" Dick glanced up, drawn out of his thoughts of Project: HELLBAT by her voice. A swift playback of what he had subconsciously heard had him modding in agreement. "Yeah, plus Riddler actually underestimated us then. Otherwise we might be mindless drones by now."

"Or 'assets' to be harvested while they clone us." Wally added with a shudder.

That right there put a blanket on the conversation.

**_**Inside the cave,** _ ** **_**the movie played from the perspective of the** _ ** **_**security feed** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**showed Tony lying on his bed** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**Yinsen s** _ ** **_**tanding beside** _ ** **_**him** _ ** **_**before stepping back and allowing the billionaire to sit** _ ** **_**up** _ ** **_**. As he swung his legs onto the ground, a bright, metal-ringed light shone from his** _ ** **_**chest** _ ** **_**showing his new accessory:** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**implanted** _ ** **_**arc reactor. The feed flickered** _ ** **__ ** **_**a bit as Tony got up and moved around** _ ** **_**, likely testing how well the device worked, before he grinned and lifted his hand to shake the doctor’s** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**Through it all, no sound came through** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**The** _ ** **_**scene changed again, now** _ ** **_**show** _ ** **_**ing them in the middle of what seemed to be a game of backgammon** _ ** **_**. Tony rolled the dice** _ ** **_**and earned an impressed look from his companion** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Oh, wow.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Impressive. Good. Good roll."** _ **

“Guess those casino nights gave him a good wrist for these things.” Artemis snorted.

**_**"You still haven't told me where you're from." Tony said with a bit of curiosity in his voice.** _ **

**_**"I'm from a small town called Gulmira. It's actually a nice place." Yinsen said.** _ **

**_**"Got a family?" Stark asked.** _ **

**_**"Yes, and I will see them when I leave here." Yinsen explained.** _ **

Though no one else seemed to notice, something about the way the older man had phrased that statement had Bruce narrowing his eyes in thought.

**_**"And you, Stark?" Yinsen asked** _ ** **_**, prompting** _ ** **_**the billionaire** _ ** **_**to glance at him before flashing a dismissive smile.** _ **

**_**It wasn’t enough for the older man though, who cocked his head to the side.** _ ** **_**"Nothing?"** _ **

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**shifted one of his stones** _ ** **_**down the board. "No."** _ **

**_**"No?" Yinsen** _ ** **_**stoppe** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **_**and stared at him for a few seconds** _ ** **_**before speaking again. "So you're a man who has everything** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**A** _ ** **_**nd nothing."** _ **

The Cave grew silent when they heard the man’s assessment.

For some such as Bruce and Oliver, they understood what Tony Stark was going through to an extent; both of them had lost their parents after all. Yet Bruce had Alfred and Oliver had found Dinah.

Tony was alone.

For Dinah, Clark, John and Diana, it was the lack of purpose that struck them: Diana had been raised a warrior and defender of Justice, the Kents had instilled a sense of purpose into their young son from a young age and Dinah had always wanted to surpass her mother.

As much as he tried to live up to his father’s legacy, Tony had never truly had a purpose that he set his mind to.

And the Team?

It was everything: his loneliness, his lack of purpose, practically his entire life screamed ‘help!’

The forced smile on his face as he casually tried to dismiss the lack in his life would haunt many of them for a long time.

**__ **

**_**TW:MCU** _ **

**__ **

**_**The terrorist leader** _ ** **_**, escorted by** _ ** **_**two soldiers** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**made** _ ** **_**his** _ ** **_**way down the tunnel, before rais** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**his hand, signaling for the soldiers to stop. He** _ ** **_**walked up to the thick metal door imprisoning his captives and** _ ** **__ ** **_**slid open** _ ** **_**a hatch on the door** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Peering** _ ** **_**in** _ ** **_**, he saw** _ ** **_**Yinsen reading and Tony welding something,** _ ** **_**neither man** _ ** **_**speaking to** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**other.** _ **

**_**Nothing** _ ** **_**out of the ordinary** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Satisfied, h** _ ** **_**e closed the hatch and turned back to his soldiers, nodding** _ ** **_**before** _ ** **__ ** **_**stalking off** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Inside,** _ ** **_**Tony's desk** _ ** **_**a disorganized mess,** _ ** **_**littered with tools, explosives, sheets of metal, engine** _ ** **__ ** **_**parts, notes and drawings** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Taking center-stage, though, was a** _ ** **_**strange** _ ** **_**looking** _ ** **_**piece with a hole in the middle** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**A slow paced, d** _ ** **_**ramatic** _ ** **_**piece began to** _ ** **_**play as Tony** _ ** **_**worked** _ ** **_**, wearing** _ ** **_**safety** _ ** **_**goggles to protect his eyes** _ ** **_**as sparks flew from his welding job** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Looks like our boy’s on his feet again.” Hal said, his tone subdued. It was obvious, even to him, that the others were clearly still reeling from the impact of the previous scene so he kept his comment short, trying to bring them out of their fugue.

It didn’t quite take, though, so he remained quiet.

**_**The leader was now** _ ** **_**star** _ ** **_**ing at the security feed,** _ ** **_**watching as** _ ** **__ ** **_**T** _ ** **_**ony** _ ** **_**worked while comparing the onscreen results to the picture of the** _ ** **_**Jericho missile** _ ** **_**. The differences were clear and he didn’t like it.** _ **

**_**"Doesn't look anything like the photo." One** _ ** **_**his** _ ** **_**men, subtitles** _ ** **_**rendering their words into English text.** _ **

**_**"Maybe he modified it." Another said.** _ **

**_**"The tail doesn't look right." The first one** _ ** **_**rejoine** _ ** **_**d.** _ **

**_**"It's just backwards."** _ **

**_**"Still doesn't look right." The first** _ ** **_**argue** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **_**with a frown** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Unfortunately, that was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back, prompting a nasty;** _ ** **_**"Well, too bad** _ ** **_**!** _ ** **_**"** _ ** **_**from his comrade** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**The scene took them outside** _ ** **_**of the cave,** _ ** **_**where night had fallen and** _ ** **_**the men** _ ** **_**tried** _ ** **_**to stay warm near** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**fire** _ ** **_**that doubled as** _ ** **_**their only** _ ** **__ ** **_**source of light** _ ** **_**before cutting to the terrorists’ command center.** _ **

**_**This time, rather than the heavyset man from before, the camera zoomed in on a** _ ** **_**man** _ ** **_**that had only been shown once before: it was the man that** _ ** **_**who had** _ ** **_**smiled** _ ** **_**cruelly** _ ** **_**during** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**’s** _ ** **_**torture** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**He stared intensely at the feed from the camera, watching with cold interest as Tony and Yinsen worked on something entirely new…** _ **

“A~nd he’s back to being a greenhorn.” Oliver sighed. “And I had such high hopes for him too.”

M’gann, who was among the least trained in the arts of subtlety, turned to the archer. “Who are you talking about?”

“He’s talking about mister Stark.” Artemis frowned. She still wasn’t fully convinced that the billionaire was anything more than an annoying asshole but Yinsen’s words earlier had definitely taken the edge off her aggressive stance. “He just nullified all the subtlety points he gained with the blueprints by practically showing off what he’s doing here.”

“You’d think two archers would know about the benefits of patience and understanding the terrain.” John Stewart scoffed, though without any heat. “The angle on that camera ensures that there are few blindspots big enough for their project to be completed without drawing huge unnecessary attention. He’s not being stupid here, he’s being intentionally honest.”

That definitely drew their attention, especially Conner who was visibly baffled by the term. “Wait, intentionally honest? What does that mean?”

“It means our boy’s allowing the baddies to see exactly what he’s doing.” Hal smirked, knowing what his fellow Lantern meant considering that they had used the same play in a number of situations. “If he hides around too much, they’ll know he’s trying to escape and they’ll probably have him work in the open where he’ll be under armed watch. Right now, he has the freedom to do as he pleases -within reason- for as long as he delivers on their demands.”

“Of course. Tampering with the camera would be ill-advised since they can peek in on them at any time.” Kaldur stated, catching on to what the Lanterns meant quicker than the rest of the Team. “If his physical actions differ from what they see on the cameras it would draw undue attention, negating all he has done to this point.”

“They don’t know anything about the actual process of making the missiles! He’s banking on these guys showing interest in his actions and he’s manipulating them by playing off their own actions.” Dick exclaimed. “He’s good!”

“Still, it’s too bad he doesn’t know anything about magic.” Zatanna hummed, mostly to herself as she thought of the half-dozen ways she could have taken the cameras out of commission with her spells without breaking cover.

**_**Suddenly the slit on the door** _ ** **__ ** **_**was pushed open and the leader yelled** _ ** **_**something** _ ** **_**Arabic** _ ** **_**at the prisoners** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**goggles strapped over his eyes** _ ** **_**looked up from his welding, face illuminated by the orange light** _ ** **_**as the** _ ** **_**slit slid shut and the metal door creaked open. The** _ ** **_**heavyset** _ ** **_**man and his soldiers** _ ** **_**poured** _ ** **_**in, point** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**their guns at Tony** _ ** **_**who -together with Yinsen- was now on his feet with his hands behind his head** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**The mob of** _ ** **__ ** **_**soldiers** _ ** **_**then** _ ** **_**parted** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**reveal the bald man** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“I’m going to hazard a guess and say that guy’s the actual leader.” Conner muttered as M’gan shivered in his hold, the Martian almost feeling the hatred in the man’s dark eyes.

“Possible. But I don’t think so.” Bruce frowned. “The bearded man that ‘welcomed’ Stark? He’s the leader of these terrorists.”

“So who do you think this asshole is?” Hal asked. He was lucky that he was out of Dinah’s smacking range or he’d have gotten one to the back of the skull for his language.

“The doctor -Yinsen- said something about an organization earlier-”

“The Ten Rings.” Wally supplied, earning a nod from the Dark Knight.

“I believe this man is a direct link to this ‘Ten Rings’ organization and they use men like him to liase with terrorist cells around the world.” He continued. “It’s Chien Na Wen’s modus operandi whenever the Triad need to expand into new territory.”

“Ah… China White…” Oliver smiled almost fondly thinking of the skilled Triad enforcer. “Such memories we share.”

“Sounds juicy.” Hal leered.

Oliver just smirked. “I don’t kiss and tell.”

“Coming from you? That’s an admission of guilt.” Artemis fired.

“Jesus kid, what is it with you?!”

**_**Slowly, he approached Tony and Yinsen in an unnervingly hostile manner** _ ** **_**as the two men watched warily. All the while,** _ ** **_**Tony's arc reactor** _ ** **__ ** **_**glowed.** _ **

**_**"Relax." The leader told Tony. Tony and Y** _ ** **_**i** _ ** **_**ns** _ ** **_**e** _ ** **_**n put their hands down.** _ **

“Said the spider to the fly.” Dinah muttered.

**_**He placed a hand on Tony's Arc Reactor** _ ** **_**, inspecting the device** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"The bow and arrow once was** _ ** **__ ** **_**the pinnacle of weapons technology."** _ **

“I know a number of idiots in prisons the world over that’ll argue that it still is.” Artemis smirked, shooting a glance at her mentor, one that was wholesomely returned.

**_**"It allowed the great Genghis Khan to rule from the Pacific to the Ukraine. An empire twice the** _ ** **__ ** **_**size of Alexander the Great and four times the size of the Roman Empire. But today, whoever** _ ** **__ ** **_**holds the latest Stark weapons rules these lands." As he spoke, he picked up the papers that had the diagram for the** _ ** **_**s** _ ** **_**uit** _ ** **_**and** _ ** **_**Tony froze** _ ** **_**, taking a second to** _ ** **_**glance** _ ** **__ ** **_**at Yinsen.** _ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**And soon, it will be my turn.** _ ** **_**”** _ **

**_**The doctor, however, showing nerves of steel, made a calmly dismissive gesture while t** _ ** **_**he man circled Tony, sneering** _ ** **_**at the billionaire who** _ ** **_**glared** _ ** **_**right** _ ** **_**back at him** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Coming to a halt before the tech genius, the man spoke, s** _ ** **_**ubtitles** _ ** **_**translating his words from his language to English.** _ ** **_**"Why did you fail me?"** _ **

**_**"We're working on it. Diligently." Yinsen replied nervously.** _ **

**_**The man turned away from Tony to face Yinsen. "I spared your life. Is this how you repay me?"** _ **

**_**Tony sens** _ ** **_**ing impending** _ ** **_**danger** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**kept a close eye on things** _ ** **_**as Yinsen responded with a shrug.** _ ** **_**"It's very complex. We're working very hard."** _ **

**_**"On your knees." The order** _ ** **_**was obeyed** _ ** **_**instantly** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**two soldiers forc** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**Yinsen to the ground** _ ** **_**as a third** _ ** **_**grabbed** _ ** **_**the doctor** _ ** **_**'s head and twisted** _ ** **_**it** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**forcing** _ ** **_**it down on** _ ** **_**Tony’s anvil** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“This is not going to end well.” Diana muttered darkly. She had dealt with terrorists before, during some of her early exploits prior to joining the League and so she knew exactly how merciless these men could be.

**_**Tony made a small advance forward, stopping when the guards** _ ** **_**glar** _ ** **_**ed at him** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**All the while, the man kept stoking the fire.** _ ** **_**"You think I'm an idiot?"** _ **

**_**Yinsen** _ ** **_**, guns to his** _ ** **_**head** _ ** **_**and** _ ** **_**hands pinned behind his back** _ ** **_**, remained firm in his lie** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**“We are working.”** _ **

**_**"Tell me the truth** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**"** _ ** **_**The man ordered one last time. When the man remained silent, a cruel smile appeared on his face as he lifted a pair of glowing tongs, a blazing piece of** _ ** **_**coal** _ ** **_**in it** _ ** **_**. "Open your** _ ** **__ ** **_**mouth** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**"** _ **

“Oh… he’s not going to-”

“He’s bluffing.” Dick stated coldly, interrupting M’gann even though his face was green as her skin at the sight. “He can’t afford to lose his translator, his doctor and the only person that can tell him what he wants to know. He cannot torture Tony so the only choice he has is to torture Yinsen. He’ll do it, of course, but not by taking his tongue.”

The adults in the room, while impressed by the boy’s deduction, were somewhat worried by the fact that he could so accurately get into the headspace of a criminal.

**_**"Tell me the truth," The** _ ** **_**man** _ ** **_**insisted.** _ **

**_**"We are working hard," Yinsen repeated.** _ **

**_**"You think I am a fool?" The** _ ** **_**man** _ ** **_**asked, moving the coal closer to Yinsen's face. "What is** _ ** **__ ** **_**going on? Tell me the truth." He told Yinsen.** _ **

**_**"We are working on the Jericho," Yinsen said fear** _ ** **_**now showing on his face as he stared** _ ** **_**at the** _ ** **_**approaching instrument of torture** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Tell me the truth!"** _ **

**_**"We are working on the Jericho-" Yinsen insisted.** _ **

**_**"WHAT IS GOING ON?!"** _ **

**_**"THE JERICHO!"** _ **

“Well damn.” John murmured as they watched the scene unfold. “The old man’s hardcore.”

Thanks to Dick’s comments earlier, the torturer’s threats rang somewhat hollow, allowing them to breathe easier and simply watch the scene play out. It didn’t make the doctor’s resolve any less impressive, though.

“Hear hear.” Oliver agreed, echoing everyone else’s sentiments.

**_**"What does he want?" Tony asked** _ ** **_**, directing it toward Yinsen first before turning to the torturer.** _ ** **_**"What do you want? A delivery date?"** _ ** **_**This time, he tried approaching the man but stopped short when all the men in the room trained their guns on him. They would have shot at him if their leader hadn’t raised his hand, commanding the men to stop.** _ **

**_**Tony looked at them** _ ** **_**, visibly** _ ** **_**nervous, then** _ ** **_**turned** _ ** **_**to Yinsen, who was still** _ ** **__ ** **_**pinned down, the coal** _ ** **_**hovering right before his face as t** _ ** **_**he** _ ** **_**man** _ ** **_**stared at him.** _ **

**_**"I need him." Tony said** _ ** **_**simply. “** _ ** **_**Good assistant.** _ ** **_**”** _ **

**_**The leader** _ ** **_**glanced** _ ** **_**down at Yinsen and dropped the coal dangerously close to his nose. "You** _ ** **__ ** **_**have till tomorrow to assemble my missile." He said in his language before he and his men left.** _ **

“I guess it goes down in twenty-four hours.” Clark frowned. “Let’s hope this suit is able to get them out of there.”

It was a hope they all shared.

**_**T** _ ** **_**he scene changed to show T** _ ** **_**ony hammering away at a sheet of metal, t** _ ** **_**he metal** _ ** **_**clang** _ ** **_**ing as he worked away at it.** _ ** **_**Next,** _ ** **_**he pulled a smaller sheet of metal from the kiln and** _ ** **_**dipped** _ ** **_**it** _ ** **_**into a pot full of** _ ** **_**water, releasing a cloud of steam** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Tony walked up to Yinsen,** _ ** **__ ** **_**who was writing something on the desk. He placed the** _ ** **_**still steaming** _ ** **_**metal on the table.** _ ** **_**The doctor** _ ** **_**looked up to see the front of the metal, revealing a mask with rectangular eyes holes and a** _ ** **__ ** **_**dotted mouth.** _ **

“… anybody else think that mask is kinda… anticlimatic?”Wally asked in a deadpan tone.

“I agree.” Artemis nodded before pausing and then punching his arm. When he asked, she shrugged. “I just agreed with you. That’s a defiance of the natural order of things so I had to reassert reality by smacking you around as I usually would.”

His narrow eyed glare was severely undermined by his grin. “You know I’ll have to pay you back for that right?”

“I welcome the challenge Wall-man.” She replied with a confident grin.

“Ugh, now I wish Shayera was here.” John muttered as the movie continued. He wanted his snuggle-buddy too, dammit!

**_**In the current scene,** _ ** **_**Tony was** _ ** **_**seen** _ ** **_**wrapping some tape over his hand** _ ** **_**while** _ ** **_**Yinsen** _ ** **_**winched** _ ** **_**what was likely the chest piece of the armor** _ ** **_**into position** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**When that was** _ ** **__ ** **_**done, the doctor** _ ** **_**helped Tony into some sort of jacket, then held out** _ ** **_**thick,** _ ** **_**black** _ ** **__ ** **_**leather gloves which the billionaire quickly slipped on** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**his hands** _ ** **_**while Yinsen strapped a thick leather brace around his neck** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**With the preliminary measures set up, it was time for the big guns to be prepped:** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**stood in place** _ ** **_**as Yinsen lowered the chest plate over** _ ** **_**his head to rest on his chest** _ ** **_**, the Arc Reactor now** _ ** **__ ** **_**glowing a soft blue** _ ** **_**through a hole left for that very purpose** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**He stared ahead** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**preparing himself for the task ahead with a** _ ** **_**determined** _ ** **_**glare as t** _ ** **_**he chest** _ ** **__ ** **_**piece clicked into place.** _ **

“Things are certainly looking up now.” Conner smirked as he watched the battle preparations, wondering if he could have something like that made. It would do little to amplify his natural strength, yes, but the style and intimidation points alone would be worth it.

Everyone else was quiet, watching the preparation with bated breath.

**_**"Okay? Can you move?" Yinsen asked** _ ** **_**as he fitted** _ ** **_**Tony into the** _ ** **__ ** **_**suit. "Okay, say it again."** _ **

**_**"41 steps straight ahead. Then 16 steps, that's from the door, fork right, 33 steps, turn right."** _ ** **__ ** **_**Tony recited.** _ **

“They did their recon.” Bruce commented with an approving nod. He had feared that the men would make the rookie mistake of trying to escape without knowing where the exit was, an embarrassing mistake he had made during his training years. Clearly, though, either Tony or Yinsen had thought of that. ‘Which shouldn’t be too surprising after their little camera trick.’

**_**The** _ ** **_**torturer** _ ** **_**walked up and observed the security feed.** _ ** **_**A few moments later, his thoughts ground to a halt when he noticed a glaring problem.** _ **

**_**Tony was nowhere to be found on** _ ** **__ ** **_**screen.** _ **

**_**"Where is Stark?" He** _ ** **_**asked the nearest subordinate** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"He was there a minute ago." The guard** _ ** **_**stammered. The man had a reputation for being soft-spoken but undoubtedly cruel so the guard was** _ ** **_**fearful** _ ** **_**of what this man would do if displeased** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Go find him** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**"** _ **

**_**A couple of soldiers shouted in Arabic and ran down the corridor, leaving the** _ ** **_**man** _ ** **_**glaring at** _ ** **__ ** **_**the screen. He leaned forward and the** _ ** **_**camera angle was adjusted to show the cell’s** _ ** **_**camera feed** _ ** **_**:** _ ** **_**Yinsen was standing in front of** _ ** **__ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**huge metal frame, working on something that was blocked by the** _ ** **_**board that** _ ** **_**was welded onto the frame.** _ **

**_**The scene changed to show the** _ ** **_**soldiers** _ ** **_**as they** _ ** **_**raced towards the entrance to Tony and Yinsen's cell. One ripped open the little slit** _ ** **__ ** **_**in the door.** _ **

**_**"Yinsen! Yinsen! Stark!"** _ **

**_**Tony, knowing that this could become a problem, urged his partner to speak up.** _ ** **_**"Say something. Say something back to him."** _ **

**_**"He's speaking Hungarian. I don't..."** _ **

**_**"Then speak Hungarian." T** _ ** **_**he genius stated** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Okay. I know." Yinsen complied.** _ **

**_**"What do you know?" He asked.** _ **

**_**Yinsen** _ ** **_**ignored the billionaire and** _ ** **_**yelled something back.** _ **

**_**The soldier** _ ** **_**, yelling through the slit,** _ ** **__ ** **_**came onscreen for a moment before the camera panned downward to show a pair of familiar green capsules rigged with wires all around it and propped up against the door, right where it would open.** _ **

**_**Outside, the** _ ** **_**soldiers** _ ** **_**decided that they had to know what was going on inside and, after a quick round of nods to verify that they were on the same page, they** _ ** **_**shoved at the door.** _ **

**_**It was the last thing many of them would do as the sudden motion of the door triggered the bomb’s tripwires, unleashing an explosion that flung the heavy metal doors right back at them, flattening one while the others were bombarded by flaming shrapnel and were flung violently into the walls.** _ **

**_**The camera switched to Tony who was now almost completely in the suit.** _ ** **_**"How'd that work?"** _ **

**_**"Oh, my goodness. It worked all right." Yinsen said** _ ** **_**, clearly in awe of the explosive display** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"That's what I do."** _ ** **_**It was a good thing the doctor was present because while Tony took that moment to gloat, Yinsen’s mind was already back on task.** _ **

**_**"Let me finish this."** _ **

“Okay, the Jericho missiles were impressive but rigging that bomb with spare parts in the middle of an improv weapons plant?” Hal nodded respectfully. “Guy’s good, we certainly can’t deny that anymore.”

**_**The** _ ** **_**torturer** _ ** **_**was then shown, still watching the security feed intently. Suddenly, the** _ ** **_**feed died, bursting into a snowy** _ ** **_**static** _ ** **_**field just as s** _ ** **_**omeone** _ ** **_**down the hall** _ ** **_**yelled in Arabic.** _ **

**_**It took the** _ ** **_**man** _ ** **_**a second to figure out what had happened, but the moment he did, he began** _ ** **__ ** **_**screaming at his soldiers and they rushed down the cave.** _ **

**_**"Initialize the power sequence." Tony ordered.** _ **

**_**"Okay." Yinsen confirmed, moving to and typing at an ancient-looking computer.** _ **

“They should have done that first!” M’gan moaned. “That will slow them down!” There was a reason she never powered the BioShip down during missions: power-up sequences, no matter how short, always seemed that bit longer in life or death situations.

“Especially if they’re going to use forgotten relics!” Dick called out, agreeing with her. “I mean what is that- a Trash-80?!”

**_**"Now!"** _ **

**_**"Tell me. Tell me." Yinsen** _ ** **_**stated, the tension of the situation getting at him the longer they waited.** _ **

**_**"Function 11. Tell me when you see a progress bar.** _ ** **__ ** **_**It should be up right now."** _ **

**_**"Yes." Yinsen said** _ **

**_**"Talk to me. Tell me when you see it."** _ **

**_**"I have it."** _ **

**_**"Press Control 'l'."** _ **

**_**"'I.' Got it."** _ **

**_**"'I.'** _ ** **_**‘** _ ** **_**Enter** _ ** **_**’** _ ** **_**."** _ **

**_**"'l** _ ** **_**’** _ ** **_**and 'Enter.'" Yinsen repeated** _ ** **_**, punching in the specific keys as fast as they appeared. Finished, he stood back and watched the progress bar until Tony called out again.** _ **

**_**"Come over here and button me up."** _ **

**_**"Okay. All right."** _ ** **_**He moved over to help lock the suit down while the** _ ** **_**green progress bar slowly** _ ** **_**but surely** _ ** **_**crept forward.** _ **

“They won’t make it.” Bruce stated, having run the numbers through his mind. “That power up sequence will take too much time and they’ll be stranded, waiting for the terrorists to come round them up.”

“Do you have to be such a pessimist?” Clark frowned. “I mean, I know it looks bleak but I’m sure it’ll work out fine.”

“Not without losses, Clark.” Diana cut in. “Your optimism is appreciated but unrealistic; they will lose somwthing before making it out.”

**_**"Every other hex bolt." Tony said.** _ **

**_**"They're coming!"** _ **

**_**"Nothing pretty, just get it done. Just get it done." Tony** _ ** **_**urged** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"They're coming." Yinsen said worriedly.** _ **

**_**A huge group of soldiers was then shown shouting and running down the tunnel, all heavily** _ ** **__ ** **_**armed** _ ** **_**, m** _ ** **_**ore soldiers rush** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**down the corridor after the first** _ ** **_**batch** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**The progress bar had BARELY passed a third of the way there.** _ **

“Move!” Zatanna murmured urgently as the tension of the scene seeped into the room, leaving them all on the edge of their seats. In her mind, the young _Homo Magi_ was desperately wishing she could cast a spell that would force the progress bar to fill up quicker. “Move!”

**_**"Make sure the checkpoints are clear before you follow me out, okay?" Tony said.** _ **

**_**"We need more time." Yinsen said.** _ **

**_**"Hey," Tony said before he was interrupted.** _ **

**_**"I'm gonna go buy you some time." Yinsen said, grabbing a machine gun and running out.** _ **

**_**"Stick to the plan! Stick to the plan!" Tony cried out after him.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"Yinsen!" Tony cried** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**worry** _ ** **_**evident in his tone** _ ** **_**. "Yinsen!"** _ **

“…fuck.”

It didn’t matter who said it; that one word reverberated around the now silent Cave as they watched on, each of them knowing that the doctor had just given his life for the billionaire’s.

**_**Tony turned his head away from the door, hearing nothing but gunshots. He looked around** _ ** **__ ** **_**furiously as his gaze set on the computer.** _ **

**_**It still hadn't even gotten halfway.** _ **

“For fuck’s sake, move already!”

It was Hal but nobody cared. Once again, the sentiment was shared by each of them.

**_**Outside, Yinsen continued to** _ ** **_**fire, unleashing a hail of bullets** _ ** **_**as he chased after the retreating soldiers** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**H** _ ** **_**e was** _ ** **__ ** **_**clearly aiming upwards and away from the soldiers, not** _ ** **_**intent** _ ** **_**hitting anyone** _ ** **_**, only scaring them off** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**Unfortunately for the good doctor, his run was cut short when he arrived at a crossroads close to the exit** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**where he faced r** _ ** **_**oughly a dozen soldiers** _ ** **_**with their own** _ ** **_**guns** _ ** **_**locked,** _ ** **_**loaded and** _ ** **_**trained** _ ** **__ ** **_**him.** _ **

**_**All the fight left him then.** _ **

More than one sob rang out in the silent Cave, and as the young men of the Team comforted their distraught girlfriends, more than one adult quietly vowed to take a jaunt through known terrorist hotspots the world over as soon as the movie was over.

**_**The scene cut back to** _ ** **_**Tony's cell** _ ** **_**where** _ ** **_**the billionaire was still stuck in the currently immobile** _ ** **_**s** _ ** **_**uit.** _ ** **_**After what seemed like an endless age though,** _ ** **_**the progress bar** _ ** **_**finally hit** _ ** **__ ** **_**a hundred percent,** _ ** **_**giving off a beep.** _ **

**_**A moment later, t** _ ** **_**he lights faded and** _ ** **_**all** _ ** **_**the lightbulbs** _ ** **_**in the cell exploded** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Soldiers** _ ** **_**-who had been making a steady approach-** _ ** **_**came to a stop as all the** _ ** **_**y were plunged into darkness for a few second before the dim natural light illuminated the cell just a bit.** _ **

“He had better mess them up good.” Coner growled. Wolf, sensing his friend’s emotions, gave off a growl of his own that combined with the darkness of the cave to produce a truly chilling effect.

**_**Three soldiers slowly advanced** _ ** **_**through the now-** _ ** **_**destroyed** _ ** **_**cell** _ ** **_**door. They stopped** _ ** **_**upon** _ ** **__ ** **_**noticing** _ ** **_**their** _ ** **__ ** **_**fallen comrades** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**who** _ ** **_**had** _ ** **_**died when the door exploded** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**Now on high alert, they crouched and stare** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **_**into the cell/workshop, muttering in Urdu.** _ ** **__ ** **_**One pushed his two friends forward, causing them to glare back at him** _ ** **_**but they all proceeded into the room.** _ **

**_**They searched all throughout the room, past the computer and desk, but they really couldn't see** _ ** **__ ** **_**anything in the near total darkness.** _ **

**_**In the shadows, a metal fist clenched.** _ **

“Here comes the pain.” Conner's grin was every bit as savage as Wolf's as Tony acted.

**_**Right on cue,** _ ** **_**a light sh** _ ** **_**one** _ ** **_**on one of the soldiers faces. He turned around, confused, before his** _ ** **__ ** **_**eyes widened with horror. The arc reactor was now glowing a bright white, instead of the regular** _ ** **__ ** **_**blue. The suit was ready. In an instant, the soldier was** _ ** **_**punched clear across the room** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**The remaining soldiers** _ ** **_**returned fire** _ ** **_**immediately,** _ ** **_**bullets flying sporadically and** _ ** **_**bouncing off** _ ** **_**rocks around** _ ** **_**. They shot for** _ ** **__ ** **_**far too long before realiz** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **__ ** **_**just how** _ ** **__ ** **_**senseless their actions were and released the triggers of their guns.** _ ** **_**They were silent for a few moments** _ ** **__ ** **_**before one soldier muttered something to another. They** _ ** **_**were still looking around** _ ** **_**fearfully** _ ** **_**when** _ ** **_**the light of the arc reactor appeared above them and** _ ** **_**the huge suit** _ ** **_**shoved them backwards. Instantly, more shots were fired but they just bounced off the suit.** _ **

**_**Within the suit, Tony** _ ** **_**threw a** _ ** **_**n elbow and the suit responded, a** _ ** **_**huge, metal elbow** _ ** **_**slamming into** _ ** **_**the last soldier** _ ** **_**and sending him** _ ** **_**sprawl** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**on** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**the floor. The** _ ** **_**suit** _ ** **_**was then shown in all its glory, it's** _ ** **_**dull metallic sheen glimmering** _ ** **_**shining in** _ ** **_**what** _ ** **_**l** _ ** **_**ittle l** _ ** **_**ight** _ ** **_**it caught** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Alright, that is just badass.” Wally smirked.

“Go~ Tony!” Zatanba cheered.

**_**He kept** _ ** **_**waded forward in jerky, robotic movements, headed toward a new set of soldiers, casually ignoring their hail of bullets.** _ **

**_**As** _ ** **_**he** _ ** **_**stomped to the clearing** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **__ ** **_**t** _ ** **_**he** _ ** **_**poor confused soldiers** _ ** **_**continued to shout** _ ** **_**desperately. Unfortunately, they couldn’t halt his advance.** _ ** **_**One brave soldier charged, yelling, but** _ ** **_**received a casual smack** _ ** **_**away** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**As he advanced, the soldiers began retreating,** _ ** **_**terror-filled screams filing the air** _ ** **_**. A group of soldiers** _ ** **__ ** **_**slammed a metal door shut, leaving one unfortunate soldier with** _ ** **_**the iron monstrosity** _ ** **_**. The terrified** _ ** **__ ** **_**man desperately slamm** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**his fist against the door and yelling for someone to let him in as** _ ** **_**Stark** _ ** **_**approached. The men who had shut the door listened fearfully and aimed their guns at** _ ** **__ ** **_**the door** _ ** **_**but made no attempt to open it** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“No honour among thieves.” Diana sneered. Honestly? She enjoyed watching the man practically piss his pants in terror.

**_**The trapped man was now screaming in English.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"HELP ME! HELP ME, HELP-" The screams came to a sudden stop** _ ** **_**followed by** _ ** **_**a loud bang** _ ** **_**that** _ ** **_**dented the** _ ** **__ ** **_**door.** _ **

Conner seriously re-evaluated the benefits of the uber-armor because that strength boost, added to his just _screamed_ ‘Awesome!!!’

**_**The men stepped back fearfully. Another bang shook the cave and further dented the door,** _ ** **__ ** **_**sending small chunks of rock dropping from the ceiling. The men continued to back away** _ ** **_**until t** _ ** **_**he** _ ** **__ ** **_**door finally burst open,** _ ** **_**flattening another guy.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**stepped out** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **__ ** **_**radiating** _ ** **_**fury** _ ** **_**as he marched on** _ ** **_**. One man ran past** _ ** **_**him** _ ** **_**, through a** _ ** **__ ** **_**narrow gap.** _ ** **_**When Tony tried** _ ** **_**to punch him,** _ ** **_**though, he** _ ** **_**missed and** _ ** **_**got** _ ** **__ ** **_**his armored gauntlet** _ ** **_**stuck in** _ ** **_**the rock wall** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**He struggled** _ ** **_**to free his arm multiple times** _ ** **_**to no avail, an opportunity o** _ ** **_**ne brave soul** _ ** **_**decided to take: he** _ ** **_**came right up** _ ** **_**to the metal headplate, stuck** _ ** **_**his gun right at the mask** _ ** **_**and fired.** _ ** **__ ** **_**T** _ ** **_**he bullet ricochet** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**right into** _ ** **_**his** _ ** **_**face** _ ** **_**sent the viewers hooting with laughter** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**One final, hefty yank** _ ** **_**freed his arm and** _ ** **_**allowed Tony to** _ ** **_**continue on his way.** _ **

**_**Meanwhile t** _ ** **_**he** _ ** **_**bald** _ ** **_**leader stalked through the cave,** _ ** **_**coldly stepping over the bodies of the dead** _ ** **_**. He stood right at the cave entrance, light shining in just behind him.** _ **

**_**Off to the side, on a pile of sandbags, lay a bloody** _ ** **_**Yinsen** _ ** **_**, h** _ ** **_**is breathing ragged. He'd clearly been shot.** _ **

**_**Whatever levity they had gained from watching the iron giant rampage through the cave died when they saw the good doctor’s fate.** _ **

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**walked into the room and looked at his fallen friend. "Yinsen!"** _ **

**_**"Watch out!" Yinsen yelled.** _ **

**_**The warning came at the perfect time, allowing Tony to notice his torture** _ ** **_**r** _ ** **_**just before he** _ ** **_**fired an RPG at** _ ** **_**him. The extra second allowed Tony to note the most likely trajectory of the coming attack and he was able to dodge accordingly.I** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**retaliation, he** _ ** **_**held out his right** _ ** **__ ** **_**arm and fired his own missile** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Much like Tony,** _ ** **_**the leader dodged** _ ** **_**. Unfortunately for him, his opponent was a genius weapons designer: the missile had packed enough explosive power to destabilize a portion of the cavern’s structure, sending** _ ** **_**rocks** _ ** **_**tumbling down** _ ** **_**from the ceiling on** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**the leader, knocking him out.** _ **

**_**Immediately,** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**rushed to Yinsen, throwing a sandbag off of him. He lifted his mask** _ ** **_**and stared at his friend** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Stark." Yinsen said as he l** _ ** **_**ai** _ ** **_**d on the ground.** _ **

**_**"Come on. We got to go." Tony said. "Move for me, come on. We got a plan. We're gonna stick** _ ** **__ ** **_**to it."** _ **

**_**"This was always the plan, Stark." Yinsen said.** _ **

**_**"Come on, you're gonna go see your family. Get up." Tony said** _ **

**_**"My family is dead. I'm going to see them now, Stark.** _ ** **_**”** _ **

Bruce bowed his head. He had suspected this earlier but, for once, he had wished he was wrong.

**_**“** _ ** **_**It's okay. I want this. I want this." Yinsen** _ ** **__ ** **_**assured him.** _ **

**_**"Thank you for saving me." Tony said gratefully.** _ **

**_**"Don't waste it. Don't waste your life." Yinsen said before finally succumbing to his wounds.** _ **

Another round of sobs were heard.

**_**Tony took one last look at his old friend, eyes burning like a wildfire and straightened up.** _ **

**_**Soldiers were camped outside the cave entrance, each watching the mouth intently, rifles tight** _ ** **__ ** **_**in their palms. Slowly a single white light appeared in the blackness, bobbing above the ground.** _ **

**_**Eyes widening, the men's fingers tightened on the triggers.** _ **

**_**The iron monstrosity** _ ** **_**emerged from the darkness.** _ **

**_**It was an incredible sight** _ ** **_**;** _ ** **__ ** **_**t** _ ** **_**he metal shin** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**in the sunlight and the suit look** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **__ ** **_**as** _ ** **_**amazing** _ ** **_**as it was terrifying** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**To the terrorists, though, it spelt their deaths and they very well knew it.** _ **

**_**They had to destroy the monstrosity.** _ **

**_**A hail of bullets greeted Tony, pummeling his suit in a steady patter of impacts.** _ ** **_**E** _ ** **_**ach and e** _ ** **_**very** _ ** **_**last** _ ** **_**soldier** _ ** **_**unleashed** _ ** **_**everything they had** _ ** **_**to no avail,** _ ** **_**the bullets bounc** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**off harmlessly.** _ **

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**walked down the stone** _ ** **__ ** **_**ramp, steps echoing** _ ** **_**each** _ ** **_**loud stomp** _ ** **_**, a death knell to these men** _ ** **_**. He just stopped and stared at the soldiers** _ ** **_**for a few moments, allowing them to truly take in the futility of their actions.** _ **

**_**"My turn."** _ **

**_**He** _ ** **_**held out his arms and** _ ** **_**unleashed** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**powerful gout** _ ** **_**of fire** _ ** **_**that** _ ** **_**engulfed** _ ** **_**the soldiers closest to him.** _ **

**_**The flames were everywhere, spreading to nearly all stalls with weapons, huts and people.** _ **

**_**Nothing escaped the blaze.** _ **

In Conner’s embrace, M’gann shuddered and turned away from the screen as the men ran about, pillars of living flame.

Their screams echoed in her mind as her empathic abilities flared, constructing a mental illusion of what those men were going through as the heat sloughed their skin off their bones and the fires boiled their blood- she had to dive into the reassurance of Conner’s mind to shake of the horrifying images her mind conjured as the movie played out scenes from her worst nightmare.

**_**Men scrambled through the blazing stalls screaming** _ ** **_**as they burnt** _ ** **_**. Iron Man just advanced,** _ ** **__ ** **_**spreading his fire everywhere. All the Stark Industries weapons that were seen earlier were caught in the** _ ** **_**blaze** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**It took a few moments to rally themselves but then the survivors** _ ** **__ ** **_**returned to** _ ** **_**the fight** _ ** **_**even more vicious than before. H** _ ** **_**opeless** _ ** **_**though it might seem, thy resolved to bring the monstrosity down with them.** _ ** **_**A few** _ ** **__ ** **_**took shelter behind boulders further up the hill, aiming from up above** _ ** **_**while** _ ** **__ ** **_**m** _ ** **_**en on mounted** _ ** **__ ** **_**machine guns fired down at Tony, these stronger bullets finally doing damage, not piercing the** _ ** **__ ** **_**armor, but rattling Tony with vibrations. A few men saw this and started firing again, hitting Tony** _ ** **__ ** **_**in the joints of the armor, bringing** _ ** **_**him** _ ** **_**to his knees.** _ **

“He needs to get out of there.” Oliver murmured, a frown on his face. “He’s getting bogged down and all they need is a lucky shot to take out his joints.”

**_**Tony turned,** _ ** **_**spray** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**more flames from his left arm, though they were quite weaker than before.** _ **

**_**The landscape was almost completely engulfed in flames. The stalls and weapons, as well as** _ ** **__ ** **_**the corpses. Even some live ammo, which had caused another explosion, leading to even more** _ ** **__ ** **_**flames. It was clear about what would soon happen.** _ **

**_**Suddenly, the view focused on Tony, showing him** _ ** **_**fiddling with the arm of his armor. He flipped a switch in** _ ** **__ ** **_**the right** _ ** **_**gauntlet, causing a buzzing noise.** _ ** **_**Then** _ ** **_**, unexpectedly, the suit** _ ** **_**rocketed into the air** _ ** **__ ** **_**and out of th** _ ** **_**at** _ ** **_**hellish place, just as more explosions erupted, tossing men into the air.** _ **

**_**The entire camp was shown from the air, before it became one big ball of burning fire** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**T** _ ** **_**ony** _ ** **__ ** **_**blasting out of the explosive fireball, grunting as he was battered by G-forces.** _ ** **__ ** **_**For a moment, it seemed like he would make it out completely and land safely somewhere.** _ **

**_**Unfortunately** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**he had used up all his luck points and** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **__ ** **_**t** _ ** **_**hrusters** _ ** **_**sputtered and w** _ ** **_**inked** _ ** **_**out.** _ ** **_**The suit** _ ** **_**careened out of the air** _ ** **_**, bits and pieces of the suit falling off midair before he finally** _ ** **_**crashed face first into** _ ** **_**the desert, a huge plume of sand marking the moment of impact.** _ **

**_**The small eruption of sand quickly cleared, s** _ ** **_**howing** _ ** **_**scraps of the suit s** _ ** **_**trewn** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**cross** _ ** **_**the sand.** _ ** **_**In the center of it all laid Tony** _ ** **_**, still covered with a few scraps and wearing the mask.** _ **

**_**He groaned and shifted, lifting his arm, which was tangled in wires and loose metal** _ ** **_**that he quickly shook off before ripping the mask off and taking a long look around.** _ **

**_**"** _ ** **_**Not bad."** _ **

"For something that was built in those conditions with subpar materials? Not bad at all Mr Stark!" Hal hollered. "I am definitely adding 'suit of armor' to my construct arsenal! The intimidation factor alone-"

"Would roll to zero once you lose control of all those moving parts?" John asked, a teasing smirk directed at his friend.

"Nobody asked you John _Stalwart_."

"Dude come on." Oliver groaned. "That jab is just lame."

**_**Tony was now seen staggering** _ ** **_**dazedly** _ ** **_**through the desert, his jacket on his head to protect** _ ** **__ ** **_**him from the harsh sun** _ ** **_**, leaving his arms bare.** _ **

**_**Suddenly, the sound of engines could be heard, before a pair of helicopters flew overhead.** _ **

"Looks like the rescue team has finally arrived!" Dick said with a smile as his girlfriend and M'gann -who was now significantly better- cheered happily.

**_**"Hey!" He yelled out to the chopper,** _ ** **_**chasing after it to the best of his ability** _ ** **__ ** **_**and doing his best to draw their attention.** _ **

**_**He s** _ ** **_**ucceeded, apparently,** _ ** **_**as one helicopter landed as he dropped to his knees, laughing and p** _ ** **_**umping** _ ** **__ ** **_**his fist** _ ** **_**in** _ ** **_**an exhausted display of victory.** _ **

**_**The chopper landed and several soldiers sprinted towards him, the first one to reach him being** _ ** **__ ** **_**a friendly face: Colonel James Rhodes.** _ **

**_**"** _ ** **_**How was the 'fun-vee'?" Rhodes asked, crouching to** _ ** **__ ** **_**Tony's level, putting a hand on his shoulder, Tony smiling at his dear friend."Next time, you ride with me, okay?" Rhodes asked, looking Tony in the face as his voice** _ ** **__ ** **_**cracked, the Colonel clearly emotional. The two of them** _ ** **__ ** **_**laughed and hugged each other, before separating.** _ **

The Team's cheers almost brought the roof down as the adults sat back with satisfied smiles on their faces.

It had taken a while and he had been forced to go through horrors that few would dream of surviving but it was finally over.

Tony Stark had made it out alive.

Now it was time to see if he would become the better man Yinsen had seen glimpses of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the final section of this chapter has less interaction/reaction from our watchers; that's intentional (to a lesser extent, the same thing happened during the Ambush in the previous chapter). During the climax of a scene, especially during fights on first-viewing of movies, people rarely do more than exclaim at the big hits or decent quips. Further analysis really only happens after the scene (or even the movie; trust me, this happened for me and my friend through practically every big-budget action flick). I'm trying to depict that feel here hence the minimal interactions but I promise that you will get full breakdowns of their reactions first thing in the next chapter.
> 
> As always, thanks to Katana of the Blade for the transcript (and your review!) And to my partner, Mr War for editing and fine tuning this.
> 
> Later.
> 
> The Ethereal Lord
> 
> Patreon.com/theethereallord


	4. The Captive's Return

“Okay, who’s taking this chance to go on a watering run?” Dinah asked as she paused the movie. “We won’t be waiting on anyone’s bladder when we start off again so if you gotta go, now’s the time to go.”

“Sorry babe but I’ve gotta take up that offer.” Wally grimaced as he slowly got out of his seat. “Now that the buzz of watching Tony rip through a bunch of noobs in a power suit’s worn off, I’m feeling… pressed.”

“I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with the gallon and a half of soda you’ve guzzled down.” Artemis snorted playfully. “And on that note, M’gann and I will whip up some more refreshments.”

“Considering how often our hands end up the the snack bowls, I’m sure my assistance will be of some use.” Kaldur added as all three of them got up and walked into the kitchen while Zatanna and Wally headed to the loo.

For a few moments, the Cave was silent as the adults simply sat back and waited for those who were absent to return. That amiable silence was broken, however, when Wally returned and zoomed over to his best friend’s side, breaking Dick from his line of thoughts.

“So, why are you just staring into space?” The Speedster asked, a sly grin on his face. “You missing your girlfriend already?”

“Where’s Artemis?” When Wally seemed stumped by the question, Dick smirked hugely. “You’re acting like an idiot again so she needs to come knock some sense into you.”

“I don’t think she’ll ever be successful on _that_ task.” Dinah commented, triggering a round of laughter from everyone present.

“Alright, laugh it up.” Wally said with a self-deprecating grin. He knew when he was at a loss an decided to take a step back and bide his time. As the laughter died down, though, he remembered what he had wanted to say before getting sidetracked. “So, Rob, what’d you think of the _Monstrosity 0.0_? I think it was pretty badass.”

“It was definitely very impressive, I’ll give you that.” Dick agreed, “Especially considering that it was cooked up in a backwater valley.” Project: HELLBAT bore quite a number of similarities to the _Monstrosity_ and so the Dark Knight’s protege found himself wondering what else they’d see in the course of the movie and if he could find more inspiration from it.

“I think what impressed me the most was it’s durability.” Clark mused. “I mean, sure, it clunked around like the common Hollywood robot tropes but it was pretty sturdy, all things considered.”

“Not with all those exposed joints it wasn’t.” Oliver snorted, grabbing the remote and rewinding to the first scene to truly show the _Monstrosity_. “I’m not saying it wasn’t sturdy -because it sure as hell was- but considering the fact that I could have completely ruined all that hard work with a few, well placed bullets? No, the durability didn’t really catch my eye.”

Now reconsidering his opinion, Clark had to agree with the archer’s assessment: Tony _had_ left too many wires exposed. A result of the limited resources available, no doubt, but considering the fact that a few lucky shots could have turned _him_ into the fireball and not the weapons cache… well, that took some of the shine off the mechanized suit. That said… “So what did catch your eye?”

“The flight thrusters.” He replied easily with Dinah and John nodding in agreement. “I mean, the firepower was good and the durability was -as you pointed out- pretty impressive but those thrusters? Yeah, that right there is proof that mister Stark’s got the potential to be every bit as adept tactically as he is technologically.”

“I am afraid I do not understand.” Diana frowned. In the meantime, Robin and Wally, seeing that the subject of their discussion had been hijacked, slunk away from the living area in search of their friends -and more importantly, _their age mates_. “How do the thrusters prove your claim?”

Oliver nudged his partner. “Wanna do the honors, Babe?”

“Sure.” Dinah nodded and sat forward a bit. “Diana, the valley where Tony and Yinsen were held was -as we just saw- crawling with terrorists. Even with the _Monstrosity,_ they were bound to get pinned by the sheer numerical advantage that the terrorists held. Heck, that actually _did_ happen at one point.”

“Factor in the fact that Tony had a passenger -one that wasn’t bulletproof, no less- and a gaping hole appears in the whole ‘ _rampaging robot’_ plan. _”_ John added.

“Project Rampage wouldn’t have succeeded anyhow.” Oliver shrugged casually. “It had, what? Three missiles and two tanks of flamethrower fuel? Not bad but definitely not good enough to storm an entire valley full of armed hostiles.” He explained.

“Exactly; geared up for a battle as it was, the _Monstrosity_ was not primed for a pitched battle.” Dinah continued seamlessly. “The thrusters, though, were the perfect answer to that, changing the entire scope of the plan. Instead of fighting their way through the entire valley, they simply needed to get out of the caves, find a large enough patch of open sky and blast off as far away as possible. Damaging the terrorists’ base was just icing.”

“Interesting… I hadn’t thought of it that way.” Diana mused. “What about you, Bruce? Surely something of mister Stark’s creation impressed you.”

“Bet you can’t create a suit of armor like that.” Hal teased in a lilting, sing-song manner.

“Not necessarily.” The Dark Knight stated. “Given sufficient time and provided with the same resources, I could create something similar to Stark’s machine; I understand enough of the basic engineering to be able to do so. However, if I were in that cave, I wouldn’t have bothered with a machine.”

Hal arched an eyebrow. “Doesn’t sound like you’re all that confident in yourself, Bats.”

“You misunderstand me: I wouldn’t have bothered with the machine for the same reason neither Oliver nor Dinah would have.”

John was the first to understand what he meant. “You’d have found a way to sneak out.”

Bruce nodded. “The difference between our way of getting out of there and Stark’s method is simply one of psychology: we have wired ourselves to study every environment we find ourselves in and to respond first with stealth and subtle means, reverting to more violent means only if no other avenue presents itself.”

It didn’t take too long for Clark, Diana and Hal to cotton on to what he meant: they had learned over time that Bruce -and to a slightly lesser extent, Oliver and Dinah- utilized stealth based tactics first. Sure, they could slug it out with the best of them but because they didn’t have superhuman physical capabilities -or a ring that granted them such- they conserved their strength more during fights.

“ … the _Monstrosity’s_ still more intimidating, though.” Hal shrugged. “Weaknesses and limited firepower be damned.”

“How’d we even get to calling it the _Monstrosity_ anyway?” Oliver asked, a bemused look on his face. “I don’t remember hearing it named in the movie.”

“It wasn’t named in the movie.” Dinah nodded. “Wally coined it- hey, where are the kids?”

**_**In the Kitchen** _ **

**_**Ten minutes prior…** _ **

“Dude! The _Monstrosity_? Really?” Dick asked as they walked toward the kitchen.

“Hey! It’s a big metal machine with flamethrower arms!” Wally cried, throwing his arms into the air dramatically. “I may not understand the language but I’m pretty sure _someone_ in that valley referred to it as the _Monstrosity_ at one point or the other!”

“You are incorrigible, Wally, you really - Woah…” His words trailed off as they walked into the kitchen, eye wide at the scene before them.

M’gann, huddled up on the floor beside the stove, hugging her knees to her chest and shuddering in clear distress, Conner hugging her as Artemis gently rubbed her back while Zatanna stood by the sink, her face contorted in worry as Kaldur tried to calm her down.

Wally immediately sped over to stand beside his girlfriend, though he was careful not to touch her, conscious of the fact that the Martian may very well have been using her friend’s contact to help steady her mental state. “Guys what happened?”

“I- I made a mistake.” Zatanna stammered as her boyfriend walked up to her and held her to himself, Kaldur stepping back to give them space. “She w-wanted to get something from the fridge and I- I wanted to brew cup of tea and I-”

“Zatanna cast a fire spell on the kettle to heat it up.” Kaldur explained, taking over for the distraught girl. “We didn’t know it at the time but-”

“The immolated terrorists.” Wally muttered, recalling the scenes of the poor bastards running around as the flames consumed them. Even for him -he who had _willingly_ allowed himself to be struck by **_**lightning**_** \- the sight of those men sent shivers down his spine so he couldn’t imagine how Kaldur and M’gann would handle such. “Kal, how are you-”

“I am well, Kid; I was able to dissociate myself from those scenes by recalling that they were just depictions in a theatrical production.” The Atlantean interjected, though Dick noticed a slight terseness in the set of his shoulders. “I suspect, however, that M’gann’s mind crafted some sort of illusion that she was only beginning to work herself out of when this happened.” It wasn’t far out of the realm of possibility, either: all but one of them vividly remembered how their friend had taken over the Manhunter’s mental construct during one of their training sessions.

“And I just pushed her right back into it.” Zatanna said, her tone as anguished as before. “I didn’t even think-”

“You couldn’t have known, Zee.” Dick murmured as he tried to console her, his hands running up and down her back. “Besides, she’ll be out of it soon.”

“How do you-”

“Conner and Artemis are helping her through it now.” He replied. “You may not know it but when Martians get mentally overwhelmed by traumatic experiences, people that they consider their closest friends can help them sort through their feelings. The only other requirement is that whoever is helping them has to have a clear, focused mind”

“Anyone of us could have done it -she considers all of us, you included, to be that close- but Conner’s her boyfriend and pretty much invulnerable so he likely won’t be afraid of whatever shows up in her head.” Wally added. “As for Artemis, she’s the closest thing to a sister that M’gann’s got and she’s badass enough to not flinch no matter what happens.”

Kaldur offered the distraught girl a smile. “Put simply, Zatanna, you have nothing to feel bad about.”

As if on cue, all three teenagers on the ground shuddered before releasing exhausted sighs; M’gann’s tears had dried up and she definitely seemed better and while Artemis and Conner seemed somewhat tired, the smiles on their faces definitely told a happy story.

“I’m sorry for getting you worried about me.” M’gann said, her voice subdued and apologetic. “I thought I had gotten over it-”

“You have nothing to apologize for, M’gann!” Zatanna replied hurriedly as she quickly got down to hug the Martian. “And I am so, _so_ sorry for what I did. I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s okay Zatanna, really.” M’gann directed a smile at her boyfriend. “I’m better now.”

“She is.” Artemis confirmed, now in Wally’s embrace. “It took a bit but we got our girl back.”

“Think you’re up for the rest of the movie?” Conner asked as he helped M’gann up, Dick assisting his girlfriend as well.

“I should be fine.” She nodded. “I wouldn’t want to stop all of you from-”

“Hey, if you’re not up for it then I’m not either.” Dick cut in, shaking his head. “We’re in this together, you know, so if you’re not enjoying it then we won’t either.”

“Short stuff’s right.” Wally added, throwing a teasing smirk at his friend. “You’re either enjoying it or we aren’t.”

The young Martian nearly teared up again at the show of support. “I’m okay. I promise.”

“Then we should return.” Kaldur stated. “Our mentors will soon begin to wonder where we are.”

“Kal’s right.” Artemis agreed. “Zee, the silence field?”

“It’s down.” The magic user confirmed a few seconds later, drawing silent comments of ‘that’s why we couldn’t hear anything’ from Wally and Dick. “Shall we?”

“Wait!” Wally yelled just before they could move, drawing alarmed looks from everyone present, with Dick, Kal and Artemis instantly dropping into combat ready stances. “Don’t forget the snacks.”

“Artemis?” Zatanna called out. A resounding ‘smack’ was heard, accompanied by the expected ‘Artemis what the hell-?!’ “Thank you.”

**_**TW:MCU** _ **

“Jeez, we were just wondering where you guys were.” Hal exclaimed as the Team made their reappearance. “What, you get lost in there?”

“Dick lost his ‘ultimate sandwich*’ so Zatanna sent us on a trip through space and time to find it.” Wally replied, an utterly serious expression on his face.

“We found it sometime in the thirty-first century on a planet in the Alpha Sirius galactic arm.” Conner continued, looking exhausted as he dumped the snacks in his hands on the table. “Unfortunately, _someone’s_ sandwich had evolved, grown sentient and had begun thinking of itself as the ‘ultimate lifeform’ and that other lifeforms had no place in the universe.”

“Hey! I was just trying to make the ultimate power lunch!” Dick exclaimed as he sat beside his girlfriend. “I was trying to be good!”

“Richard, I love you but I have cabbage strips in places I never even _dreamed of_.” Zatanna said with an exasperated huff. “If this is the result of you being _good_ then I think I prefer you as a bad boy.”

The members of the Justice League all stared at the Team, uncertain of what to think until Dinah just gave up and hit the play button.

**_**The scene opened by showing a United States Air Force carrier taxiing** _ ** **__ ** **_**onto a runway in a military base.** _ ** **_**Pepper** _ ** **_**and Happy stood beside the Bentley, clearly awaiting the arrival of the billionaire -the heavyset Happy stood perfectly still, his professionalism showing; Pepper, on the other hand, was not still: her hands twitched and she shuffled from foot to foot.** _ **

“You sure she’s just the secretary?” John asked, arching an eyebrow at the woman’s behaviour. “Seems a bit _fidgety_ for a secretary if you ask me.”

“Her relationship with him did seem a bit more than a purely professional one.” Dinah mused. “Then again their interaction was more along the lines of friends than anything else.”

“True… but I’d still say there was a hint of romantic tension in there.” Oliver mused. “Definitely on Tony’s end, if not on Pepper’s.”

**_**The hatch to the back of the** _ ** **__ ** **_**plane slowly opened to reveal Rhodes standing there with Tony sitting beside him in a** _ ** **__ ** **_**wheelchair** _ ** **_**. As the hatch touched the ground,** _ ** **_**the Colonel** _ ** **_**leaned in to** _ ** **_**help** _ ** **__ ** **_**hi** _ ** **_**s friend up and they carefully made their way down. Tony locked gazes with** _ ** **_**Pepper** _ ** **_**for a moment and a look of relief was evident on her face as she struggled to school her features, biting her lower lip as she took him in:** _ ** **_**his hair** _ ** **_**was** _ ** **_**combed and his beard** _ ** **_**was** _ ** **_**trimmed into a stylish** _ ** **_**mustache-** _ ** **_**goatee** _ ** **_**combo and were it not for** _ ** **_**his** _ ** **__ ** **_**right arm in a sling** _ ** **_**, she would honestly have thought his disappearance a simple dream** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Okay, seriously; she definitely sees him as more than a boss.” Hal hummed after that little interaction. “I wouldn’t say she’s jonesing for him but she’s definitely not a simple underling.”

“Jeez he’s old.” Conner muttered into M’gann’s ear though Clark picked up every word as well. “I mean, _jonesing_? Who even uses that anymore?”

**_**"Watch it, coming up here." Rhodes warned his friend as they reached the bottom of the ramp** _ ** **_**, a pair of paramedics rushing up with a stretcher.** _ **

**_**It was standard procedure for high-value hostages upon retrieval from the hands of terrorists, a way to get the former hostage to standard medical care while simultaneously running tests to ascertain that the on-site triage hadn’t missed anything of note. Anyone else would have appreciated it and let them do their jobs.** _ **

**_**Unfortunately, Tony** _ ** ****hadn’t** ** **_**gotten that memo because in this case, it only served to fuel hi** _ ** **_**s annoyance. "Are you kidding me** _ ** **__ ** **_**with this? Get rid of them."** _ **

“Hmm… black hair, billionaire, resists help even when obviously in need of it…” Oliver glanced at his partner and smiled. “Remind you of anyone present, babe?”

“If you’re referring to how Stark parallels Bruce then you’re kind of late to the party.” Clark pointed out. “Pretty sure everyone agreed about that a while back.”

“The similarities are quite remarkable.” Diana commented. “One would be forgiven for thinking of them as mirror reflections of each other.”

“Exactly: aside from the obvious physical similarities, Tony is practically _Diet Bruce._ ” John added. “They are both geniuses, capable of thinking well outside the box, they share a similarly caustic wit… no offense Bruce, but have you ever wondered-”

“If Tony isn’t a parallel dimension version of myself whose parents’ death _didn’t_ traumatize him to the point where he sought vengeance against those that killed them?” Bruce asked, his voice quiet as the room fell into an emotionally charged silence. “… I haven’t stopped thinking about it.”

**_**While** _ ** **_**Rhodes silently** _ ** **_**gestured for** _ ** **_**the medics** _ ** **_**to leave, Tony approached** _ ** **_**Pepper** _ ** **_**who** _ ** **_**smiled as** _ ** **_**she again took in his dapper appearance,** _ ** **__ ** **_**his handsome face marred by** _ ** **_**two** _ ** **_**small** _ ** **_**cuts.** _ **

**_**"Your eyes are red.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**stated, his dark eyes studying her intensely. “** _ ** **_**A few tears for your long-lost boss?"** _ **

**_**"Tears of joy. I hate job hunting." Pepper** _ ** **_**quipped though she couldn’t quite hold back her happy smile** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Yeah, vacation's over." Tony told her** _ ** **_**as he moved past her, headed toward the Bentley with a respectful nod toward Happy** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Where to, sir?" Happy asked** _ ** **_**soon as the doors slammed shut.** _ **

**_**"Take us to the hospital, please, Happy** _ ** **_**-** _ ** **_**" Pepper s** _ ** **_**tarte** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **_**only to be cut off by Tony’s firm, “No** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**”** _ **

**_**"No?** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ ** **_**Confusion -and a not insubstantial amount of concern- showed on her elegant features. “** _ ** **_**Tony, you have to go to the hospital."** _ **

“Fat load of good that’ll do.” Dick muttered, shooting an annoyed glare at his mentor. The members of the League had absolutely _no idea_ how bad Bruce could get, especially if -God forbid!- a villain was on the run. It wouldn’t matter if he had a punctured lung or a sprained ankle -both of which _had happened!-_ he’d just keep going. When Zatanna turned to glance at him, he added, “If he’s really Bruce’s parallel dimension counterpart -or even just a movie character based on Bruce- then he’s _definitely_ ** _ **not**_** going to any hospital.” His eyes narrowed as he cross-referenced Bruce’s personality with what he knew of Tony’s. “In fact, I’d bet that he’s about to ask for something that should be the absolute _last thing_ on his mind.”

“What’s that?”

“A press conference.”

He didn’t realize it but his voice had grown in volume to where just about everyone heard him and a few people present hastily placed bets on the possible accuracy of his statement. 

**_**"No is a complete answer." Tony said** _ **

**_**"The doctor has to look at you." Pepper said a bit worried** _ **

**_**"I don't** _ ** **_ **have** _ ** **_**to do anything." Tony** _ ** **_**stated flatly** _ ** **_**. "I've been in captivity for three months. There** _ ** **__ ** **_**are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger and the other..."** _ **

Hal rubbed his hands with a confident smirk, eagerly awaiting the moment of his inevitable victory…

**_**"That's enough of that." Pepper** _ ** **_**said, warning** _ ** **_**him** _ ** **_**to stop** _ ** **_**before he said something inappropriate.** _ **

**_**"...is not what you think. I want you to call for a press conference now."** _ ** **_**The statement** _ ** **__ ** **_**had** _ ** **_**Pepper** _ ** **_**turning to stare at him so quickly they almost heard the crack of her neck** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ **

**_**Surprise was clear in her voice when she finally got it back:** _ ** **_**"Call for a** _ ** **_ **press conference** _ ** **_**?"** _ **

**_**"Yeah." Tony confirmed.** _ **

**_**"What on earth for?** _ ** **_**!** _ ** **_**"** _ **

**_**Her question was flat out ignored as Tony spoke to Happy next:** _ ** **_**"Hogan, drive. Cheeseburger first."** _ **

“Hey Hal? Your wallet’s big enough to take this hit right?” Oliver asked, aiming a shit-eating grin at the Lantern who was clearly squirming. “I mean, I’d offer to help you out but I make it a policy to _not_ lend to anyone who owes me money.”

“Well, I think we’ve learned a valuable lesson here.” John added, piling on the teasing. “Don’t bet against the house.”

While the members of the League shared a laugh at the Lantern’s expense, Conner turned to Dick. “How’d you know he would call for a conference?”

“GA doesn’t realize how on the mark he was about Tony and Bruce’s similarities.” Dick stated. “Yinsen’s death in those caves affected Tony a lot more than was immediately obvious.”

“He kinda blew up an entire terrorist hub after watching the doc die, dude.” Wally pointed out. “There’s really nothing subtle about that.”

The young detective waved his friend’s point away somewhat dismissively. “That was an immediate reaction, Wally; it was more reflex than anything pre-planned.” A gentle tap to Zatanna’s side had her shifting, allowing him to sit up before she rested her head on his lap. “The press conference, though? He called that because he wants to make a definitive move to become the man Yinsen saw.”

Diana whistled, impressed with the young man’s knowledge of his mentor’s thought processes. “I guess we should be ready for a jarring decision, then.”

“I’m interested in seeing where this goes.” Clark added before Dinah hit the button.

**_**The** _ ** **_**Bentley** _ ** **_**pulled up** _ ** **_**in front of** _ ** **__ ** **_**what looked like an air force conference hall** _ ** **_**with American flags** _ ** **_**billowing** _ ** **_**as a** _ ** **__ ** **_**large audience clapped. Obadiah Stane,** _ ** **_**Tony’s father figure, was right there at the head of the crowd** _ ** **__ ** **_**in a bespoke** _ ** **_**suit,** _ ** **_**making his way over to** _ ** **_**the car with his arms wide open. "Look at this!"** _ ** **_**He crie** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **_**as he opened** _ ** **_**the door for Tony** _ ** **_**. He didn’t even wait for his young charge to fully get clear of the car before wrapping him in a huge bear hug.** _ ** **_**"Tony. We were going to meet at the hospital."** _ ** **__ **

**_**"No,** _ ** **_**Obie,** _ ** **_**I'm fine." Tony said** _ ** **_**as glanced around somewhat desperately before catching a glimpse of his driver and grabbing a** _ ** **_**cheeseburger** _ ** **_**from the bag Happy had just proffered** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"** _ ** **_**Burger.** _ ** **_**You had to have a burger, yeah?"** _ **

**_**"Well, come on." Tony told him.** _ **

**_**"You get me one of those?" He asked, reaching for the burger.** _ **

**_**"There's only one left. I need it." Tony said** _ ** **_**as Obadiah** _ ** **__ ** **_**helped him** _ ** **_**brush** _ ** **_**a few crumbs off** _ ** **__ ** **_**hi** _ ** **_**s suit** _ ** **_**before** _ ** **_**they headed** _ ** **_**into** _ ** **_**the building** _ ** **_**, surrounded by a host of applauding individuals.** _ **

“Damn… that’s a welcome worthy of a rock star right there.” Wally muttered, earning nods and comments of agreement from everyone present.

“Obadiah and Tony seem to have a really strong relationship.” Kaldur commented, changing the subject of the discussion. “The introduction earlier in the movie did little justice to them.”

“You mean the announcer at the Apogee Awards?” Artemis asked. When Kaldur nodded, she continued, “I can’t exactly blame him for that, I mean, the guy was probably just reading off a script. Plus, I doubt many people would know the true depth of that kind of relationship.”

“Maybe. But the whole ‘giant dude staring down at the world’ graphic on that magazine kinda seemed off.” Conner argued.

“That was just symbolism.” Dick waved dismissively. “Tony’s parents -the founders of what was probably the biggest weapons manufacturing firm in the country- had just died. Considering the number of defense contracts Stark Industries must have held at that time, I think it was pretty safe to think of the workload Stane would have had to carry as being equal to picking the world back up.”

“Rob’s right.” Wally said. “Besides, that ‘burger byplay’ just now wouldn’t have happened if the guy was a stuffy old suit who looked down on the world.”

“Even if the _burger byplay_ was a bit tasteless.” Zatanna muttered. “I mean, Tony just spent three months in captivity and the first thing his father figure does is to try to grab one off him? Talk about tacky.”

“I think mister Stane did that to help bring back a sense of normalcy to Tony.” M’gann said, giving her opinion on the matter. “Tony clearly doesn’t want to be coddled so maybe mister Stane understands that better than anyone else and is trying to behave as he normally would.”

“That sounds very likely.” Kaldur nodded in agreement. “Obadiah didn’t dwell too long on his charge’s appearance neither did he press overly much on the matter of their meeting at the hospital.”

“They’ve gotten really good at thinking things through.” Diana murmured admiringly as the members of the League listened to the Team’s discussions. “They have little of the issues that plagued us when we began.”

“To be fair, for many of us, we were isolated individuals coming together for the first time.” Clark pointed out. “That definitely caused quite a bit of friction.”

“Yes, and the towering egos many of us brought along certainly had nothing to do with it.” Dinah snorted, recalling how herself and Hawkwoman nearly cost the Earth its freedom during the Dominators’ invasion when they had butted heads on how to proceed at a crucial point in their plan.

And that was just one of _many_ stories that the general public would ****never**** know about.

“The fact that a few of them knew each other has little to do with this.” The blonde heroine continued. “Conner, Artemis and M’gann were all new faces and while they occasionally struggled to get things right, they were never quite as bad as we were.” Noticing that the Team’s discussion was dying down, she hit the play button.

**_**The two of them** _ ** **_**walked toward a conference room with** _ ** **_**Pepper** _ ** **_**trail** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**a few steps** _ ** **_**behind.** _ ** **_**As soon as they walked in, Obadiah roared an excited,** _ ** **_**"** _ ** **_**L** _ ** **_**ook who's here! Yeah!"** _ ** **_**that had the reporters swarming in, cameras flashing and jaws jabbering away.** _ **

**_**The redhead** _ ** **_**hung back** _ ** **_**, a small smile playing at her lips as she watched her boss slip back into his element, working the crowd as he glided past** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**Her musings were cut short, though, when a nondescript man in a very simple suit walked up to her.** _ **

“Government agent.” chorused Artemis, Wally and Dick.

“Honestly, even the kids know about them!” Oliver snorted. “Someone needs to tell the feds to try changing things up because the old ‘nondescript, well pressed suit’ is _extremely_ descript.”

“I’ll see what I can do when next I see the secretary of defense.” Diana replied with a chuckle. “Between Karen and her husband, Bill, they might be able to turn an ear in the White House.”

Oliver snorted. “I kinda doubt it. Madam Hayes and Mister Buchanan are good but even _they_ don’t have the kind of influence to pull that off.”

**_**“Miss Potts?”** _ **

**_**"Yes** _ ** **_**?”** _ **

**_**"Can I speak to you for a moment?"** _ **

**_**"** _ ** **_**Oh,** _ ** **_**I'm not part of the press conference, but it's about to begin right now." She said.** _ **

**_**"I'm not a reporter.** _ ** **_**” The man smiled disarmingly.** _ ** **__ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**I'm** _ ** **_**A** _ ** **_**gent Phil Coulson, with the Strategic Homeland Intervention,** _ ** **__ ** **_**Enforcement and Logistics Division." He introduced.** _ **

“Wow, Agent Coulson, your naming department _sucks_!” Artemis scoffed, drawing laughs from everyone present.

**_**"That's quite a mouthful." She said.** _ **

“That’s what she-”

An almighty THWACK! rang through the room before Hal could complete that statement.

John received a heartfelt ‘thank you’ from Artemis, Dinah and -surprisingly- Bruce.

Oliver was just happy _he_ wasn’t stupid enough to even _think_ of that line: to say that Dinah was protective of her kids was like saying the sun was simply hot.

True but woefully understated.

**_**"I know. We're working on it." Phil** _ ** **_**replied, smile still firmly in place as he handed her his card** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"You know,** _ ** **_**we’ve-** _ ** **_**we've been approached** _ ** **_**already** _ ** **_**by the DOD, the FBI, the CIA..." She listed** _ ** **_**only to be cut off by the agent** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"We're a separate division with a more specific focus. We need to debrief Mr. Stark about the** _ ** **__ ** **_**circumstances of his escape." He explained.** _ **

“You know, I’m not sure whether to be impressed by how casually he interrupted her without sounding rude or be annoyed by the fact that his agency is more concerned with the ‘circumstances’ of Tony’s escape.” Artemis muttered. “It almost sounds like they know about the suit.”

“Considering the fact that no one seems to be asking about the suit then it stands to reason that Stark fabricated a story about his escape.” John stated. “However, Stark is an untrained civilian which begs the question: how does an untrained civilian -an extremely high value one at that- survive three months in a terrorists’ hideout and then escape?”

“You’re saying they _don’t_ know about the suit but they suspect that things aren’t as tidy as Tony has made them seem?” Conner asked.

The dark complected Lantern nodded.

**_**Pepper seemed to think about it for a second before noticing that the conference was about to begin. Hastily -it wouldn’t do for his personal assistant to miss a moment of the impending conference after all- she turned to Agent Coulson and offered:** _ ** **_**"I'll put something in the book, shall I?"** _ **

**_**It was more than enough for the man who nodded gratefully.** _ ** **_**"Thank you." He said** _ ** **_**before walking off.** _ **

**_**It was just in time too as the view switched to show Obadiah standing at the podium, mouthing something but simply being unable to speak. The reason for this became clear when the view slowly moved lower to show Tony, who was now sitting with his back resting on the podium.** _ **

**_**"Hey, would it be all right if everyone sat down?** _ ** **_**” He asked as he pulled his burger out of his pocket.** _ ** **__ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**Why don't you just sit down? That way you can** _ ** **__ ** **_**see me, and I can... A little less formal and..."** _ **

**_**The reporters all** _ ** **_**exchanged** _ ** **__ ** **_**bemused looks** _ ** **_**but** _ ** **_**did as the man asked even as Obadiah did the same beside his ward who was busy scarfing his burger.** _ **

“Well, that’s one way to start a press conference.” Clark blinked. “I don’t know anyone who’s ever asked the press corps to take a seat on the ground during a conference.”

Oliver opened his mouth…

“Don’t you dare!”

… only to shut it again, his words withering on his tongue as he was faced with the combined glares of Dinah and Artemis.

**_**"What's up with the love-in?"** _ ** **__ ** **_**Rhodey asked quietly, crouching down next to an already sitting Pepper.** _ **

**_**"Don't look at me. I don't know what he's up to."** _ **

“The mind of a genius.” Zatana rolled her eyes. “Who can keep up with it?”

**_**"Good to see you." Tony said to his friend and mentor.** _ **

**_**"Good to see you." Ob** _ ** **_**adiah replied with a warm smile as he placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder.** _ **

**_**"I never got to say goodbye to Dad." He** _ ** **_**said quietly before turning and** _ ** **_**repeat** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**that to the** _ ** **__ ** **_**audience. "I never got to say goodbye to my father. There's questions that I would have asked** _ ** **__ ** **_**him. I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did. If he was conflicted, if he** _ ** **__ ** **_**ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels.** _ ** **_**”** _ **

**_**Pepper’s lips pressed into a thin line even as Rhodes’ quirked upward.** _ **

**_**“** _ ** **_**I** _ ** **__ ** **_**saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them.** _ ** **_**” Obadiah turned to his charge, concern radiating from his eyes as he looked at the younger man’s haunted visage. “** _ ** **_**And I saw...that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability."** _ ** **__ **

**_**"Mr. Stark!" A reporter called out.** _ **

**_**"Hey, Ben." Tony greeted.** _ **

**_**"What happened over there?"** _ **

**_**The question was asked quietly, somewhat tentatively but it seemed to be exactly what Tony wanted to hear as he immediately pushed himself up and walked round to the podium.** _ ** **_**"I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I have more to offer** _ ** **__ ** **_**this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am** _ ** **__ ** **_**shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International until such a time as I** _ ** **__ ** **_**can decide what the future of the company will be."** _ **

“Well… damn.” Conner muttered as they witnessed pandemonium ensue on the screen. “I know we were expecting something big but…”

“That’s a ballsy move.” Oliver muttered as Obadiah tried to spin the situation. “Let’s hope he doesn’t have a board to deal with.”

“Wishful thinking.” Bruce replied.

**_**Onscreen, Tony continued his declaration, adamantly refusing to allow himself be spoken over by his father figure who was now almost desperately trying to ease the tension with quips.** _ **

**_**"What direction it should take, one that I'm comfortable with, and is consistent with the highest** _ ** **__ ** **_**good for this country, as well." Tony finished** _ ** **_**before walking off the stage to be escorted by an army of security guards lest he be overwhelmed by the raucous press corps.** _ **

**_**Onstage, a now clearly desperate Obadiah closed the conference with a faux-cheerful:** _ ** **_**"What we should take away from this is that Tony's back! And he's healthier than ever. We're** _ ** **__ ** **_**going to have a little internal discussion and we'll get back to you with the follow-up."** _ **

“Somehow, I don’t think an internal discussion is going to change Tony’s mind on this one.” Kaldur stated. Not even the Atlantean’s cool voice could conceal his shock at what had just transpired. “Once again, Robin, you are proven correct.”

“They’re going to kill him.” Oliver muttered, his hands over his face. “They’re going to kill him, bury him and ignore the hell out of his policy.”

“Who are you talking about?” M’gann asked, alarmed at the sheer level of callousness the Archer’s words hinted at. “And why would they do… _that_ to him?”

“Let’s hope you don’t find out.” Bruce replied, surprising the Team as the movie rolled on.

**_**The view changed to show an overhead view** _ ** **_**of** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**Stark Industries factory** _ ** **_**before panning down to** _ ** **_**show Happy standing** _ ** **_**beside the parked Bentley as** _ ** **_**Obadiah** _ ** **_**drove up in a S** _ ** **_**egway.** _ **

**_**"Where is he?"** _ ** **_**The older man** _ ** **_**asked** _ ** **_**, clearly** _ ** **_**trying to** _ ** **_**keep a lid on his frustration. He knew that as close as he was to Tony, if he presented himself as** _ ** **_ **possibly** _ ** **__ ** **_ **becoming** _ ** **_**a threat to Tony then Happy would legally be allowed to judo toss him right out of the building.** _ ** **__ **

**_**Very little sobered a man up faster than the possibility of pain.** _ **

**_**"He's inside." Happy** _ ** **_**replied,** _ ** **_**gesturing into the factory** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Obie** _ ** **_**stormed off,** _ ** **_**pull** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**out** _ ** **_**an ID card that he swiped at the door,** _ ** **_**allowing him into the building** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ **

**_**Tony was right inside, observing a massive machine in the middle of the room that hummed and crackled with incredible power. To a casual observer, the billionaire seemed absolutely nonchalant, like he hadn’t just set off the media-slash-business equivalent to a nuke.** _ **

**_**Obadiah walked up to him,** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**n unlit** _ ** **_**cigar** _ ** **_**in his mouth and his arms akimbo.** _ ** **_**"Well, that... That went** _ ** **__ ** **_**well."** _ **

“Yeah. And Vandal Savage just swore off all forms of violence.” Wally snorted.

**_**"Did I just paint a target on the back of my head?" Tony asked.** _ **

**_**"Your head? What about my head? What do you think the over-under on the stock drop is** _ ** **__ ** **_**gonna be tomorrow?" Obadiah asked.** _ **

**_**"Optimistically, 40 points." Tony guessed.** _ **

**_**"At minimum."** _ **

“Uh… what does that mean- stock drop?” Conner asked. “And why forty points?”

“That’s kind of a long ass subject.” Oliver mulled it over for a second before saying, “How about I explain it to you -and anyone else who’s interested- some other time?”

M’gann, Conner, Zatanna and Kaldur all nodded.

**_**"Yep." Tony nodded, shifting a bit.** _ **

**_**"Tony, we're a weapons manufacturer." Obadiah said.** _ **

**_**"Obie, I just don't want a body count to be our only legacy." Tony told his old mentor.** _ **

**_**"That's what we do. We're iron mongers. We make weapons." Obadiah pointed out.** _ **

**_**"It's my name on the side of the building." Tony countered.** _ **

**_**"And what we do keeps the world from falling into chaos." Obadiah said.** _ **

**_**"Not based on what I saw." Tony argued. "We're not doing a good enough job. We can do** _ ** **__ ** **_**better. We're gonna do something else." He told his friend.** _ **

**_**"Like what? You want us to make baby bottles?" Obadiah asked rhetorically** _ ** **_**, echoing Tony’s sentiment from earlier in the movie when he spoke to the reporter outside the casino** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"I think we should take another look into arc reactor technology." Tony** _ ** **_**explain** _ ** **_**ed.** _ **

“Interesting…” Bruce muttered. “So the arc reactor technology already existed.”

“Looks like our boy just made it smaller.” Hal hummed. “Kinda takes the shine off his genius a bit.”

**_**"Come on. The arc reactor, that's a publicity stunt!** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **_**Obie laughed.** _ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**Tony, come on. We built that thing to shut the** _ ** **__ ** **_**hippies up!"** _ **

**_**"It works." Tony said** _ **

**_**"Yeah, as a science project. The arc was never cost effective. We knew that before we built it.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Arc reactor technology, that's a dead end, right?" Ob** _ ** **_**adiah** _ ** **_**questioned as he began to circle Tony.** _ **

**_**"Maybe." Tony said, focusing on the machine and refusing to look at Stane.** _ **

**_**"Am I right? We haven't had a breakthrough in that in what? Thirty years?"** _ **

“Thirty- Wait.” Dick sat up abruptly, jostling Zatanna in his haste. “Dinah I need you to head back to the beginning of the movie, during the announcer’s monologue at the Apogee awards.” Everyone present turned to him with puzzled looks even as Dinah rewound the movie as he asked.

 ** _ **“At age four, his he built his first circuit board. At age six, his first engine-”**_**

“Wait- Pause!” Now it was Wally’s turn to make demands as he immediately understood what his best friend was getting at.

It was right there on the screen, framed on a magazine cover; Tony had built a V8 engine at age six but the truly mind-numbing part was the headline below:

**_**Will the arc reactor save all our energy needs?** _ **

The Cave was stunned into silence.

“Hold the phone.” Hal frowned disbelievingly. “Are you saying he _theorized_ that as a **_**kid**_**?!”

“It’s not directly stated, no, but if you tilt it a few degrees and look at it under direct sunlight…” Oliver hesitated before continuing, “Stane confirms that they _built_ it, which means the plans were lying around. Nothing at this moment points to Obadiah being an inventor -more of a business man than anything else- so the plans couldn’t come from him.”

“They may have come from his father though.” Clark pointed out. “Stane said there had been no breakthrough in thirty years-”

“He also said that it wasn’t cost effective.” Bruce rejoined. “In all likelihood, he meant that there had been no breakthroughs in making the reactor more cost effective, something that could be done by having people look at the plans.”

“Bruce is right.” John continued. “Plus, it would tally with what Stane said about building the reactor to _shut the hippies up_ : the plans for the reactor existed but they never bothered with it because the cost did not justify the means.”

“Unfortunately, said _hippies_ got a hold of the old magazine and clamored for an arc reactor to be built so Tony and Stane sink a bit of cash into a publicity stunt that grants them goodwill and leeway from the extreme environmentalists.” Oliver nodded. “Very possible.”

“My God… So he created the plans for the arc reactor as a kid, discarded them because they weren’t _cost effective_ until he got kidnapped as an adult and _then_ he makes a mini-reactor **_**while in captivity**_**?!” Hal gawked. “Bruce… Bruce this guy may actually be smarter than you.”

“I never claimed to be the most intelligent man on the face of the Earth.” The Dark Knight shrugged. “Most people just think of me like that.”

**_**"That's what they say." Tony said,** _ ** **_**before** _ ** **_**finally looking at** _ ** **_**his mentor** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**He stared at the man’s eager expression with a deadpan.** _ ** **_**"Could you have a lousier poker face?** _ ** **__ ** **_**Just tell me, who told you?"** _ **

**_**"Never mind who told me. Show me." Obie said, gesturing towards Tony's chest and the device** _ ** **__ ** **_**hidden under his shirt.** _ **

**_**"It's Rhodey or Pepper." Tony narrowed it down.** _ **

**_**"I want to see it." Stane said, in a tone that left no room for argument.** _ **

**_**"Okay, Rhodey." Tony guessed, unzipping his jacket. Both of them took a quick glance to either** _ ** **__ ** **_**side to make sure no one else was around to see what was about to be revealed. Deciding the** _ ** **__ ** **_**cost was clear, Obie looked back as Tony opened his jacket to show the machinery keeping** _ ** **_**him** _ ** **_**alive.** _ **

**_**"Okay."** _ ** **_**Confronted with the proof as he was now, the older man had to accept that maybe, just** _ ** **_ **maybe** _ ** **_**there was a method to his ward’s madness.** _ ** **__ ** **_**As such, he decided to accept the decision, expressing his agreement by buttoning** _ ** **_**Tony's** _ ** **_**shir** _ ** **_**t back up with a smile on his face.** _ **

**_**"It works." Tony** _ ** **_**stated, as if to reiterate that he had been right all along.** _ **

**_**"Listen to me, Tony. We're a team." Ob** _ ** **_**adiah** _ ** **_**said,** _ ** **_**clapping a hand** _ ** **_**on** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**Tony's shoulder. "Do you** _ ** **__ ** **_**understand? There's nothing we can't do if we stick together, like your father and I."** _ **

**_**"I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads-up, okay?" Tony apologized. "But if I had..." He started.** _ **

**_**"Tony.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Tony, no more of this "ready, fire, aim" business. You understand** _ ** **__ ** **_**me?"** _ ** **_**His tone had changed now, Obadiah’s voice had lost its aggressive edge and was** _ ** **__ ** **_**now** _ ** **_**understanding and supportive.** _ **

**_**"That was Dad's line." Tony said,** _ ** **_**staring at his mentor as if to say ‘did you have to go there?’** _ **

**_**Stane smiled** _ ** **_**and removed his hand from Tony. "You gotta let** _ ** **__ ** **_**me handle this. We're gonna have to play a whole different kind of ball now.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ ** **_**The men turned away from the machine and walked out of the factory. “** _ ** **_**We're going to have** _ ** **__ ** **_**to take a lot of heat. I want you to promise me that you're gonna lay low."** _ **

“Wait. Why would they face any blowback?” Conner asked, utterly confused by the whole thing. “I mean, he’s the owner of the company right? So who’s there to put pressure on him?”

“The Board.” Oliver answered with a slight shudder. “I’d rather face an army of Triad goons for a week straight than have _them_ level their attention on me.”

“You keep talking like that and they’ll think you’re referring to an underground cult or something” Dinah said with a chuckle. “I think the Light is enough of a bad guy organization for the Team.”

“Conner?”

“Yes Super- I mean, Clark?” Though he had swiftly corrected himself, it was clear to everyone present that the young Kryptonian clone still felt odd referring to his progenitor by name.

Clark, for his part, showed no sign that he had noticed the slight slip up. “You understand the concept of checks and balances, right?”

“Yes

**_**A TV was then shown, premiering a show called Mad Money, with a bald man wearing a white** _ ** **__ ** **_**shirt and tie with a creepy, unpleasant glare and smile on his face on the screen. "Stark** _ ** **__ ** **_**Industries! I've got one recommendation! Ready? Ready?** _ ** **_**-”** _ **

“What’s with the obnoxious idiot?” Zatanna asked loudly, flinching away from the loud sounds coming from the speakers.

“You wanted to know what Stane meant when he said that Stark had painted a target on their backs?” Oliver asked. “Well here’s one of the things he meant: the media’s out for him.”

“The thing with being a billionaire playboy -or any billionaire that isn’t eccentric and living like a hermit- is that your life really isn’t _yours._ ” Bruce explained. Judging by the visibly tense muscles inn his jaw, it was a topic that he found _really_ annoying. “Whenever you show up in public, there’s always a _field_ of media reporters waiting on your every action-”

“The tabloid idiots being the worst.” Dinah interjected with a frown. “Morons will twist whatever you say till it fits what they think will sell the most papers.”

“Dee’s being a tad vindictive but she’s not wrong.” Oliver hastily added, doing his best to cover up her whispered ‘Fucking Skeeter bitch!’ “When you become famous, having a private life becomes extremely difficult and being a policy-maker type-”

“Like a major weapons developer.” Dick stated.

“Or the heads of multibillion dollar conglomerates.” Artemis muttered, eyeing the billionaires present.

“Exactly.” Oliver nodded. “When you fit those descriptions, the media hangs on your every word and so getting kidnapped, coming back and then declaring a complete shutdown to the very facilities that _made you a billionaire in the first place?_ Yeah, that’s going to draw the attention of the whole world.”

“And the more obnoxious media personalities -the shock-jocks, eccentric TV show hosts and tabloid writers- in particular, will be out in full force.” Clark replied with a scowl. “I may work for a news outlet but trust me when I say that most for us consider those guys I mentioned to be the lowest of the low.”

**_**Whatever else he would have said was cut off when** _ ** **_**Pepper** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **__ ** **_**who** _ ** **_**was watching the show with a** _ ** **_**serious** _ ** **_**frown** _ ** **_**\- received a call via her phone** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Pepper.** _ ** **__ ** **_**How big are your** _ ** **__ ** **_**hands?"** _ **

**_**The question was every bit as jarring as suddenly hearing his voice was and the redhead clearly had a difficult time trying to put the pieces of what she had just heard together.** _ ** **_**"What?"** _ **

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**simply** _ ** **_**repeated the question.** _ **

**_**"I don't understand why..." Pepper started.** _ **

**_**"Get down here. I need you." Tony instructed.** _ **

“Anybody else wondering what Tony’s cooking up inside that head of his?” Hal asked, clearly confused as the rest of them were.

“For all that he has acted the role of the playboy, he hasn’t done anything vulgar since the movie started-”

“Except banging that hot reporter.” Oliver interjected. In the background, a certain Lantern could be heard bemoaning the fact that nobody had told him about that.

“That’s ‘Playboy 101.” Artemis waved dismissively. “Banging the hot reporter-slash-debutante-slash-secretary-slash-the-other common-female-tropes is the first thing you learn at Hefner Uni so I don’t see anything vulgar in it.”

Everyone stared at her with wide eyes until Diana coughed lightly and continued her initial statement: “Well, _all that aside_ , Stark does not strike me as the sort to simply try something vulgar unless he knows his potential partner will be receptive to his actions.”

“Jeez babe,” Wally muttered to Artemis as the movie played on. “When did you start a campaign against billionaire playboys?”

“Someone had to do it.” the blonde replied with a shrug as Pepper walked into Tony’s workroom. “Besides, watching you guys react like that is actually kinda fun.”

“When was the last time you saw Canary for a session?”

“A week ago, why?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

**_**"Hey." Tony** _ ** **_**said with a small smile as she walked in. He sat shirtless in an operating chair that bore startling similarities to those seen in dentists’ offices, his arc reactor glowing softly. Interestingly, he held a** _ ** ****second** ** **_**arc** _ ** **_**reactor,** _ ** **_**this one looking more refined than the crude version in his chest.** _ ** **_**"** _ ** **_**Alright, l** _ ** **_**et's see** _ ** **__ ** **_**them. Show me your hands."** _ **

**_**Pepper** _ ** **_**, clearly still perplexed by the odd request, did as he asked,** _ ** **_**holding up** _ ** **_**her hands** _ ** **_**and wiggl** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**her** _ ** **__ ** **_**fingers a bit.** _ **

**_**"Oh, wow. They are small. Very petite, indeed. I just need your help for a sec."** _ **

**_**As she approached, she saw the arc reactor. "Oh, my God, is that the thing that's keeping you** _ ** **__ ** **_**alive?" She asked, shocked** _ **

“Well, that answers Stane’s question.” John said. He was mostly speaking to himself but when he noticed that the movie had been paused, he turned to Dinah. “Something wrong?”

“Just trying to figure out what you meant.” She replied. “What answers Stane’s question?”

“Ah, that.” The Lantern nodded. “Well, in the factory, Stark asked Stane how he knew about the reactor in his chest and then narrowed the options down to either the Colonel or Pepper. However-” He gestured to the frozen image of Pepper standing over Tony. “here she is, visibly shocked at the sight of the reactor in his chest.”

“I had thought about this when Tony pointed it out.” Kaldur nodded. “I had my doubts about Obadiah’s source being Miss Potts due to the timing.”

“You might wanna walk us through that one, Kal.” Wally frowned. “The timing of what?”

“From what we saw, Tony Stark landed at an air force base, went for a burger and returned to the base for a press conference. Judging by their clothes and Obadiah’s reactions, it seems extremely likely that the conversation in the factory took place on the same day.” Kaldur said, drawing out a timeline of events for them. “At no point did Miss Potts have the time to actually _see_ the reactor.”

“So how does she know about it?” Conner asked. “I mean, she asks if that’s what’s keeping him alive, which kinda means that she knows _something_ is keeping him alive.”

“Exactly. She knows Tony’s life is reliant on something, she simply does not know what it is.” Kaldur nodded. “My guess is that she learned about the fact that his life is reliant on a device when he went to get the burger.”

“Uh… my head’s passing ‘does not compute’ messages here, Kaldur.” Zatanna frowned. “How do you know that she learned about it at the burger shop? We never even got to see that?”

Again, Kaldur nodded. “We didn’t. However, during her conversation with Agent Coulson, she explained that they had given statements to the FBI, CIA and other such agencies. Considering how unlikely it is that Tony gave those statements on the plane that brought him in -especially since she said _they_ had given statements and not _Tony_ had given statements- it stands to reason that their agents intercepted him at the burger shop, where she was present.”

“That… that’s a perfect explanation.” Oliver nodded, clearly impressed by the Atlantean’s deductive ability. “You’ve got a gift there, kid; you ever decide to drop the water wielding hero gig and I’ll introduce you to a friend who’s wicked good at deductions. Pretty sure Q won’t mind whipping you into shape.”

**_**"It was.** _ ** **_**Now… it’s** _ ** **_**an antique." He said, before holding the** _ ** **_**more refined** _ ** **__ ** **_**reactor up.** _ ** **_**"This is what will be keeping me alive for the foreseeable future. I'm swapping it up for an** _ ** **__ ** **_**upgraded unit, and I just ran into a little speed bump."** _ **

“I kinda saw this one coming.” Clark mused, directing a sly look at Bruce. “Genius types just can’t resist making their upgrades.”

“If you want to mention names, you’re free to do so, Clark.” Bruce stated calmly. “Just know that certain _geniuses_ might choose to ****not**** upgrade certain… creature comforts you have in your room on the Watchtower.”

Clark’s focus instantly returned to the movie.

**_**"Speed bump, what does that mean?" She asked worriedly.** _ **

**_**"It's nothing. It's just a little snag. There's an exposed wire under this device. And it's contacting** _ ** **__ ** **_**the socket wall and causing a little bit of a short. It's fine." He explained to her** _ ** **_**as he carefully detached the arc reactor from its socket in his chest and removing it with a slight jerk, giving just the slightest wince.** _ **

**__ ** **_**The digital readout beside him beeped the instant the reactor came loose, causing Pepper to glance at it warily even as she carefully received the old reactor.** _ ** **_**"What do you want me to do?"** _ **

**_**"Put that on the table over there. That is irrelevant." Tony said,** _ ** **_**waving dismissively at the old reactor before reaching into the socket in his chest and yanking out a loose wire.** _ **

**_**"Oh, my God!"** _ **

**_**"** _ ** **_**It’s okay, relax.” He flicked the wire away and turned to her. “** _ ** **_**I want you to reach in, and you're just gonna gently lift the wire out."** _ **

“That… shouldn’t he get a doctor for that?” M’gann asked, clearly uneasy with the procedure they were about to witness. “It can’t be safe for her to… what if something goes wrong?”

No one could answer those questions: it was clear that Tony wanted to remain as far away from the hospitals as he could yet surely a man of his means had a doctor he could summon?

**_**"Is it safe?" She asked, clearly unsure.** _ **

**_**"Yeah, it should be fine. It's like Operation. You just don't let it touch the socket wall or it goes** _ ** **__ ** **_**'beep.'" He told her.** _ **

**_**"What do you mean, 'Operation'?" Pepper questioned.** _ **

**_**"It's just a game, never mind."** _ **

**_**"Just gently lift the wire. Okay? Great." Tony guided her through it.** _ **

**_**"Okay." She said. She started to reach in, before pulling back nervously. "You know, I don't think** _ ** **__ ** **_**that I'm qualified to do this." She said.** _ **

**_**"No, you're fine. You're the most capable, qualified, trustworthy person I've ever met. You're** _ ** **__ ** **_**gonna do great."** _ **

“That’s why he wants her to do it!” Artemis exclaimed softly. “He trusts her.”

Just like that, comprehension dawned on them.

“Of course.” Dick muttered. “What he saw in the terrorists’ hideout must have made him wonder how his weapons got into the hands of terrorists-”

“And made him extremely wary of the arc reactor getting to the wrong hands.” Wally finished. “Going by Kaldur’s theory, he didn’t trust the government agencies with the actual knowledge of the arc reactor and he doesn’t want word of the reactor getting to the media so he’s shunning hospitals and pretty much anyone he doesn’t trust.”

“Sounding more and more like you, Bruce.” Hal pointed out.

**_**"Is it too much of a problem to ask?** _ ** **__ ** **_**'Cause I'm..." H** _ ** **_**is eyes flicked over to the digital readout** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Okay, okay." She said.** _ **

**_**"I really need your help here." He told her.** _ **

**_**"Okay." Pepper said, steeling herself and reaching in. She immediately regretted it, however,** _ ** **__ ** **_**when nasty squelching sounds were heard.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"Oh** _ ** **_**!** _ ** **__ ** **_**T** _ ** **_**here's** _ ** **_**…** _ ** **_**pus!" She cried out, very disgusted.** _ **

“Ew!!! _That is_ ** _ **disgusting**_**!” Artemis cried as Zatanna and M’gann tried to still their queasy stomachs.

“Really? Cause that seems pretty par for the course, especially during emergency medical procedures during field ops.” John shrugged, honestly not seeing what the big deal was.

**_**"It's not pus. It's an inorganic plasmic discharge from the device, not from my body." Tony** _ ** **__ ** **_**explained calmly.** _ **

“See? Nothing to worry about.”

**_**"It smells!" She whined, face scrunched up in disgust.** _ **

**_**"Yeah, it does. The copper wire. The copper wire, you got it?" He asked** _ ** **_**, trying to keep his voice steady despite his quickened breathing** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Okay, I got it! I got it!" She confirmed.** _ **

**_**"Okay, you got it?" He asked. "Now, don't let it touch-" Tony started, before letting out a small** _ ** **_**, convulsive** _ ** **_**shout** _ ** **_**as** _ ** **_**a loud buzzing sound** _ ** **_**rang out from the readout** _ ** **_**. "Don't let it touch the** _ ** **__ ** **_**sides when you're coming out** _ ** **_**. That’s what I was trying to tell you before.** _ ** **_**"** _ **

“You didn’t exactly explain it, though.” Oliver muttered, rolling his eyes at the man’s antics. “And you’re the one being operated on.”

Artemis rolled her eyes. “I can’t imagine how _fun_ it’ll be to have him as a teacher.”

“I can just see it now.” M’gann giggled. “F’s on all the test scores.”

“You know you just described Hermione’s biggest nightmare right?” Conner asked dryly. “Just have a teacher threaten her with an expulsion and you’ve created the perfect nightmare scenario.”

“Wait, when did you guys read _Harry Potter_?” Wally asked, clearly impressed at them.

His eager morale took a nose dive when Conner, M’gann and Zatanna replied with a confused “Who?”; an explanatory “Hermione’s a classmate of ours. Hermione Weasley. She’s the most intelligent girl on the East Coast.” and a clearly incensed “ _Harry Potter_ is a novice’s attempt at explaining magic. There are so many inconsistencies in there it’s stupid!” ** ******* respectively.

“Wait. So J.K’s wrong?” Artemis asked, clearly disappointed by what she was hearing.

“She’s not exactly _wrong_ , just inaccurate on so many points.” Zatanna explained. “I can point them out later if you want.”

“And have you kill my childhood even more?” Artemis scowled before shrugging lightly. “Are you free tomorrow?”

**_**"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She apologized. She finally began slowly pulling out the copper wire.** _ **

**_**“** _ ** **_**Okay, now make sure that when you pull it out you** _ ** **__ ** **_**don't..." Tony started** _ ** **_**…** _ ** **__ ** **_**just as** _ ** **_**Pepper** _ ** **_**yank** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**out** _ ** **__ ** **_**the wire, magnet and all.** _ ** **_**"There's a magnet at the end of it! That was it. You just pulled it out." He explained, slightly** _ ** **_**exasperated** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Of course, to the ever blasé Tony, it was a simple matter of inserting the new reactor and getting it over with. To Pepper, though, who frankly speaking would rather have called in an army of doctors, it was an absolute nightmare. Ergo, she was** _ ** **_ **freaking** _ ** **__ ** **_ **out** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Okay, I was not expecting…** _ ** **__ ** **_**Don't put it back in! Don't put it back in!" Tony said** _ ** **_**gent** _ ** **_**ly** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **__ ** **_**getting her to stop before she** _ ** **__ ** **_**could** _ ** **_**lower the magnet back in.** _ **

**_**"Okay, what do I do?** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ ** **_**The question was asked in a determined voice, one that instantly shattered when she noticed the strained look on his face. “** _ ** **_**What's wrong?"** _ **

**_**"Nothing, I'm just going into cardiac arrest 'cause you yanked it out like a trout…** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ ** **_**Once again, he seemed utterly uncaring of the fact that he was** _ ** **_**now in life-threatening danger.** _ ** **_**In fact, were it not for the way his tone hardened at the end of his sentence, he would have been the picture of relaxation.** _ **

**_**"What? You said it was safe!" Pepper cried out** _ ** **_**, now deathly worried that she had inadvertently sentenced him to death** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“… and now he’s traumatizing her.” Dinah sighed. “He has the social skills of a monkey.”

“A feral monkey.” Clark added, causing Bruce to glance at him.

“You’ve had that one stored up for a while haven’t you?”

“I couldn’t let it stop with me.” The Man of Steel admitted somewhat sheepishly. “I love Lois but she’s got a wicked tongue.”

In the background, Hal opened his mouth, noticed the expectant look on Dinah’s face and promptly shut himself up.

**_**"We gotta hurry. Take this. Take this." He told her, handing her the new arc reactor. "You gotta** _ ** **__ ** **_**switch it out really quick."** _ **

**_**"Okay. Okay." She said nervously, reaching towards the hole in his chest, before putting a hand** _ ** **__ ** **_**on his shoulder** _ ** **_**to get his attention** _ ** **_**. "Tony?"** _ **

**_**"What?"** _ **

**_**"It's going to be okay. It's gonna be okay. I** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**m gonna make this okay."** _ ** **_**It was clear to everyone watching that Pepper was trying to re** _ ** **_**assure herself** _ ** **_**as much as he was trying to reassure him** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ **

**_**Assertion given, s** _ ** **_**he got to work** _ ** **_**on the** _ ** **_**install** _ ** **_**ation of** _ ** **_**the new arc reactor** _ ** **_**, moving cautiously under his directions** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Okay, you're gonna** _ ** **__ ** **_**attach that to the base plate. Make sure you..." Tony** _ ** **_**trailed off as his body began to shut down only to be jerked back to full wakefulness** _ ** **__ ** **_**with an exaggerated yelp when she made the connection.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Seeing the borderline horrified look on her face, he flashed her a disarming grin** _ ** **_**. "Was that so hard?** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ ** **_**Watching her stare at her ‘plasmic discharge’ covered hands in disgust was enough to bring a true smile onto his face. “** _ ** **_**That** _ ** **__ ** **_**was fun, right? Here, I got it. I got it." He** _ ** **_**took over the final step,** _ ** **_**adjusting the device** _ ** **_**until it clicked** _ ** **_**in** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**its proper** _ ** **_**alignment** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"Here. Nice."** _ **

“So the new reactor’s locked in.” Wally said, staring at the device with clear interest in his eyes. “I wonder how much power it can generate compared to its predecessor?”

“I would not be surprised if we’re talking about a hundred times the initial output.” Dick said, deep in thought. “It would be par for the course where Tony’s concerned.”

“Okay, I can agree that he _would_ have upped the power generation by a few degrees but a hundred?” A clearly bemused Hal asked.

“Well, my calculations aren’t precise but after considering the amount of energy required to power the _Monstrosity_ , I factored in energy intensive modifications to that suit and then just dialed everything up to an eleven to be safe.” Dick explained. “Tony’s a genius inventor and, like Superman pointed out earlier, the one similarity among the genius inventor trope is their shared motto: better and better.”

“So, you think he’s going to make a new suit?” Conner asked eagerly, clearly hoping to see more of Tony’s tech at work.

“I’d bet my utility belt on it.”

“Woah! Okay, nobody bet against him!” Wally exclaimed. When John asked why, he said; “If Rob stakes his belt on something then nothing short of reality bending over can prevent it from happening.”

“Somehow, I just know that this is Bruce’s fault.” Dinah sighed as she played the movie.

**_**"Are you okay?"** _ ** **_**Pepper asked, clearly still bothered by the possibility of having screwed** _ ** ****something** ** **_**up.** _ **

**_**"Yeah, I feel great.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ ** **_**His tone was steady, his eyes clear and the slightest hint of a grin at the corner of his mouth had her sighing in relief. “** _ ** **_**You okay?"** _ **

**_**"Don't ever, ever, ever, ever ask me to do anything like that** _ ** **_**.”** _ ** **_**She** _ ** **_**wanted to sound** _ ** **_**stern** _ ** **_**and demanding** _ ** **_**, but** _ ** **_**, in the face of his boyish** _ ** **_**grin** _ ** **_**, she just caved in and laughed** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**“Ne** _ ** **_**ver again** _ ** **_**, Tony.** _ ** **_**"** _ **

**_**"I don't have anyone but you."** _ ** **_**The statement had been meant to cheer her up but both parties realized a deeper truth to it: he really didn’t have anyone that was so close that he could simply call upon on such short notice.** _ **

To the Watchers in the Cave, the shared awkward glances on the screen reminded them of something that they had seen earlier, during Tony’s time in captivity when himself and Yinsen had played their little board game: the doctor had asked if Tony had anyone at home and the billionaire had shaken his head in the negative.

Now, though, they saw the truth that even Tony hadn’t quite admitted back then, a truth that meant Yinsen was wrong: Tony _did_ have something; he had some _one_.

Obadiah Stane, his mentor.

Colonel James Rhodes, his friend.

And Pepper Potts, his loyal assistant and the only person he could trust with a literal life-or-death procedure.

**_**As was common with many thought-provoking moments in movies -particularly in pseudo-romantic ones- the scene quickly became awkward, prompting Tony to fill the silence however he could. In this case, he chose action: reaching up, he began pulling** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**many** _ ** **_**wires** _ ** **_**he had connected to** _ ** **_**his** _ ** **__ ** **_**chest, taking the towel off his lap and getting up.** _ **

**_**Pepper,** _ ** **_**taking a cue from him, stepped back a bit to give him a bit of space** _ ** **_**while tr** _ ** **_**ying** _ ** **_**to shake the slime off** _ ** **__ ** **_**her hand.** _ ** **_**When she realized how much of a pointless effort** _ ** ****that** ** **_**was turning out to be, she turned to his workstation and, noticing the still now obsolete arc reactor, she picked it up and turned to him.** _ ** **_**"What do you want me to do with this?"** _ **

**_**"That?** _ ** **_**” A single, cursory** _ ** **__ ** **_**glance at the device in her hand before waving dismissively. “** _ ** **_**Destroy it. Incinerate it."** _ **

**_**A confused frown creased her brow.** _ ** **_**"You don't want to keep it?"** _ **

**_**"Pepper, I've been called many things. 'Nostalgic' is not one of them."** _ **

**_**Pepper** _ ** **_**sighed but** _ ** **_**nodded a** _ ** **_**ll the same** _ ** **_**. "Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"** _ **

**_**"That will be all, Miss Potts." He** _ ** **_**replied** _ ** **_**with a smile** _ ** **_**before turning to the mechanical arm hovering over his table and launching into a disappointed monologue** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“You know, that ended on such a sweet note that I’m having a hard time believing that it involved Stark in any way.” Artemis noted.

“But then you remember all the snarky quips and reality settles in like a wet blanket.” Dick smirked.

“It is something I find myself enjoying in this movie.” Kaldur said with a smile. “Rather than put forward the stereotypical hero, the creators of this film have taken their time to portray a very _human_ character in Tony Stark.”

“What do you mean?” Conner asked.

“An Atlantean psychologist, Dr. Argon, said that no being, Atlantean or otherwise, is every truly what they appear to be on the surface.” He explained. “Rather, what we see is only a fraction of their being, shaped by experiences, circumstances and choices that the individual has faced.”

“Kaldur’ahm’s words are wise beyond his years.” Wonder Woman nodded in agreement. “For the longest time, I believed that the witch, Circe, hated men simply out of a false belief in female superiority. It was only after many years that I realized that her hate was birthed by the kind of men she encountered throughout her formative years.”

“I liked how awkward things got after Tony’s little admission.” Zatanna smiled. “If they don’t get together as a couple then something’s wrong with _both_ of them.”

“Damn girl; you haven’t even seen the competition Tony’s facing and you’re already shipping them.” Artemis said with an exaggerated eye-roll.

“Oh please, the _Tony-Potts_ ship is well out of the harbor at this point.” Dinah interjected, surprising most of the League members that she even understood what the girls were saying. “I’m betting they have smooth sailing from here on out.”

“Betting on the conditions of the dreaded _Sea of Romance_? You’re a braver woman than I ever imagined.” This time, jaws dropped: while unexpected, Dinah knowing about ‘shipping’ was to be expected since she was basically the Team’s ‘hip and cool’ big sister. To anyone not engrossed in the ongoing discussion, though, it was something of a shocker that John Stewart -straitlaced, stoic _John Stewart_ \- had just wadded into the conversation, clearly understanding and even interacting in their lingo. “While I mostly agree with you, I think they’ll face a few issues before they even get ‘out of the harbor’ to borrow your phrase.”

“Anybody else thinking reality took a hard right without our knowledge?” Hal murmured quietly as the discussion raged on.

“We’re watching movies from an alternate dimension after watching a series of episodes dealing with alternate dimension characters fighting to the death including two featuring both of you.” Oliver whispered, pointing at Clark and Bruce. “I think reality deserted us a while ago.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *- If you don’t get this ‘ultimate sandwich’ reference, it means you probably haven’t seen Teen Titans Go in which case I both envy you and feel sorry for you. Seriously; TTG is both scarring to my childhood and stupidly hilarious.  
> *- So, I know Firestorm had the DC characters oblivious about the Harry Potter universe in his YJWDB fic but in this case, I just couldn’t resist doing this. So, let’s keep this to ourselves shall we *nudge nudge wink wink*? Obviously, Conner and M’gann don’t know but that’s only because one’s a clone and the other’s pretty new to the planet.
> 
> Anyhow, I hope I was able to deliver on my promise of a decent analysis of the breakout from the last chapter.
> 
> As always, thanks to Katana of the Blade for the transcript, to Mr War for editing and fine tuning this.
> 
> The Ethereal Lord.  
> Patreon.com/theethereallord   
> Your support is greatly appreciated!


	5. First Flight

“You know, I just thought of something.” Wally mused as they all settled back into their seats after the adults -who hadn’t taken Dinah’s toilet break earlier- returned from stretching their limbs. “Remember how Pepper yanked the magnet out ‘like a trout’?”

“Yeah, what about it?” Conner asked.

“Well, if the arc reactor’s meant to power the electromagnet so it can keep whatever shrapnel shards remained in him away from his lungs and heart, then doesn’t that mean the new reactor’s kinda useless without the magnet?” Wally asked.

“Not necessarily.” Bruce rejoined. “Knowing Stark as I’m beginning to, I believe he has integrated the magnet _into_ the new reactor.”

“So why’d he bitch at Red when she slipped up?” Hal asked.

“He was likely more annoyed by the way she pulled it out than by the fact that she did.” Bruce explained. “If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that he wanted her to detach the wires first before uncoupling the magnet from its housing unit.”

“When you put it like that, it does sound safer than the ‘trout’ method.” Clark admitted.

“Then again, her method meant we didn’t have to sit through what could have been a messy medical procedure.” Zatanna pointed out with a slight shudder. “How people watch some of those medical shows, I’ll never understand.”

“Zee those shows are informative.” Dick said with a gentle prod at her ribs. “People learn a lot about the human body from them.”

“Yeah… I think I’d rather stick to AP Physics than learn about a urinary bypass.” Conner shuddered. “There are things _no one_ should have to endure.”

“That guy wouldn’t have had to have his pecker sliced open like a sausage if he’d kept it in his pants.” Artemis fired back. “Far as I’m concerned he got lucky-”

“And that’s where we draw the curtain on _that._ ” Dinah loudly interjected, shooting a withering glare at the young archer. While she agreed with the younger blonde, she wasn’t about to let her go off on a tangent involving what she felt the guy should have had done to him because while her teammates hadn’t really given thought to it, Dinah knew that Artemis could be quite inventive at inflicting pain: Sportsmaster had made sure of that. “Let’s get this watching going people.”

**_**The scene in the movie had changed again, returning them to the air force base where Tony had initially held the polarizing press conference.** _ ** **_**An army fighter jet was** _ ** **_**shown taxiing** _ ** **_**down the tarmac, just outside of a hangar,** _ ** **_**in side of which Colonel** _ ** **_**Rhodes** _ ** **__ ** **_**stood** _ ** **_**, addressing** _ ** **_**a small group of soldiers** _ ** **_**:** _ ** **_**"The future of air combat. Is it manned or** _ ** **__ ** **_**unmanned?"** _ **

“Now that right there depends on who you asked.” Hal muttered with a scowl. “I, however, know that there is no AI on this planet that can match what a trained pilot can do.”

“T.O Morrow would argue otherwise.” John pointed out with just the faintest hint of a smirk.

As he had expected, Hal went off like a lit firework: “Don’t even _think_ about calling that idiot’s name around me! Morrow’s so used to being alone that he thinks his robots can do everything a human can! Human’s learn from past experiences! We adapt and evolve by taking everything that’s happened to us and using it to make informed decisions.”

“Have you seen some of Lena Luthor’s latest work in advanced robotics and AI?” Wally scoffed. “She’s taken the whole ‘learning, adapting, evolving’ thing to the next level! Her advances in cloud-processing means every AI connected to _Le Cloud_ can instantly draw on a stupidly massive pool of information and make informed decisions based on what other AIs have done.”

“Yet we still routinely out-fly the ‘latest models’ and the ‘most sophisticated AIs ever built.’ Ever wonder why?” Hal shot back, visibly incensed now. “It’s because humans have one little thing your little robo-pets can _never_ have: instinct."

While the two slugged it out in a war of words -with John now trying and failing to douse the flames- the rest of the Team bar Artemis who was helplessly caught up in the argument, turned questioning looks on the members of the League.

Clark had the decency to look flushed. “Hal’s… _touchy_ about the whole ‘unmanned aerial craft’ thing.”

“We kinda noticed.” M’gann replied haltingly, attention split between the arguing duo -who had now delved into how robots could be hacked and humans telepathically controlled- and the conversation they had just begun. “He’s _really_ touchy.” She winced when she felt a flash of anger flare up from the Green Lantern.

“Hal had a career as a maverick jet fighter pilot for the USAF for a while. He left after the government chose to cover up an incident that involved the loss of innocent life when a UAV-”

“Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.” Conner supplied before grimacing. “Leftover Cadmus knowledge.”

Bruce nodded at the young Kryptonian. “The government lost control during a test of a UAV and the craft fired on a village in Pakistan. Over a hundred lives were lost but they covered it up as an act of terrorism and went right ahead with their tests. Hal couldn’t stomach it so he left, joining up with Ferris Air less than three months later.”

“Woah.” Dick muttered, seeing the Green Lantern in a new light. “I… I couldn’t have guessed-”

“As Kaldur’ahm stated earlier, what you see on the surface is only an aspect of who we truly are.” Diana sighed. “We should break their argument up before it devolves into a yelling match.”

“Honestly, John should know better than to get Hal riled up like this…” Oliver scowled. “Though, considering how often they argue on this, I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“Considering how hard he’s been trying to get them to stop, I don’t think John wanted it to spiral this far out of control.” Dinah sighed as she watched Clark, Bruce and Diana wade into the argument. “He probably wasn’t expecting Wally’s hardheadedness.”

It took a few minutes for them to calm them down but, in the end, they succeeded, and Dinah hit the play button.

**_**"I'll tell you, in my experience, no unmanned aerial vehicle will ever trump a pilot's instinct, his** _ ** **__ ** **_**insight, that ability to look into a situation beyond the obvious and discern its outcome, or a** _ ** **__ ** **_**pilot's judgment." He explained.** _ **

“Got it in one.” Hal nodded firmly.

Artemis jabbed an elbow into Wally’s side before he could restart the argument.

**_**A** _ ** **_**soldier** _ ** **_**was just about to question the Colonel when he was interrupted by a now familiar voice:** _ ** **_**"Why not a pilot without the plane?"** _ **

**_**Rhodes didn’t seem even the least bit surprised by his friend’s appearance as he welcomed the billionaire.** _ ** **_**"Look who fell out of the sky. Mr. Tony Stark."** _ **

**_**"Hello, sir."The soldier who** _ ** **_**had been interrupted** _ ** **_**greeted Tony** _ ** **_**who shook the man’s hand energetically.** _ **

**_**Midway through shaking the soldier’s hand, Tony’s face gained a mischievous grin.** _ ** **_**"Speaking of manned or unmanned, you gotta get him to tell you** _ ** **__ ** **_**about the time he guessed wrong at spring break. Just remember that, spring break, 1987. That** _ ** **__ ** **_**lovely lady you woke up with. What was his name? Was it Ivan?"** _ **

**_**Even for** _ ** **_**soldiers** _ ** **_**that reveal was amusing and more than one of them** _ ** **_**began laughing at this** _ ** **_**even as** _ ** **_**Rhodes** _ ** **_**affected a stoic expression that was dreadfully undermined by the clear embarrassment that shone beneath** _ ** **_**. "Don't do that. Don't do** _ ** **__ ** **_**that. They'll believe it. Don't do that."** _ **

“Okay, if anyone has any deep, dark and dreadfully embarrassing secrets about me _please keep it under wraps._ ” Wally pleaded.

“What, like that picture of you in an… _intimate_ position with-”

“I said shut it!” Wally screeched, having raced over to slap a hand onto Robin’s mouth. It was only when he saw the younger boy’s shoulders jerking in what was undoubtedly laughter that he realized how well he had been played. “You. Are. An. Ass.” He stated through gritted teeth before stomping over to his shared couch and flopping onto the seat, resting his head in Artemis’ lap, pointedly ignoring the loud peals of laughter that rang out all around him.

Artemis, who understood the true meaning of Dick and Wally’s little byplay, placed a gentle kiss on his head and whispered. “Thanks babe.”

He had _intentionally_ made a fool of himself to help dissipate whatever tension remained from his argument with Hal, after all.

**_**"Okay." Tony smirk** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**and** _ ** **_**waggled** _ ** **_**his eyebrows, getting a bigger laugh from the soldiers.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"Pleasure meeting you."** _ **

**_**"Give us a couple minutes, you guys."** _ ** **__ ** **_**Rhodes** _ ** **_**said to them, having long given up on embarrassment and now sporting a grin** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**Now alone with his friend, the Colonel placed a hand on Tony’s back.** _ ** **_**"I'm surprised."** _ **

**_**"Why?"** _ **

**_**"I swear, I didn't expect to see you walking around so soon." Rhodes explained.** _ **

**_**"I'm doing a little better than walking." Tony said ambiguously.** _ **

**_**Arms crossed, Rhodes took a step back and stared at his friend searchingly.** _ ** **_**"Really?"** _ **

**_**"Yeah. Rhodey, I'm working on something big. I came to talk to you. I want you to be a part of** _ ** **__ ** **_**it." Tony told him.** _ **

**_**"** _ ** **_**For real?” When Tony nodded, a small grin broke out on Rhodes’ face. “** _ ** **_**You're about to make a whole lot of people around here real happy, 'cause that little stunt at the** _ ** **_**p** _ ** **_**ress conference** _ ** **_**?** _ ** **__ ** **_**T** _ ** **_**hat was a doozy."** _ **

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**winced slightly. He had, on some level,** _ ** **_**known** _ ** **_**that** _ ** **_**he was taking a** _ ** **_**huge risk by simply making such a public declaration: his company’s stocks would take a hit and his social standing would take a nasty beating but he had always felt that his friends would have his back.** _ ** **_**"This is not for the military. I'm** _ ** **__ ** **_**not... It's different."** _ **

**_**Rhodes' smile** _ ** **_**gradually faded, to be replaced by a deep scowl** _ ** **_**. "What? You're a humanitarian now or something?"** _ **

**_**"I need you to listen to me** _ ** **_**-** _ ** **_**"** _ **

**_**"No. What you need is time to get your mind right." Rhodes said** _ ** **_**seriously. Whe** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **__ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**tried to** _ ** **_**smile** _ ** **_**at him, the Colonel all** _ ** **_**but** _ ** **_**glared at him.** _ ** **_**"I'm serious."** _ **

**_**"Okay."** _ **

**_**Rhodes then nodded and backed off, heading back to the soldiers. "It's nice seeing you, Tony."** _ **

**_**"Thanks." Tony said in a defeated tone, leaving** _ ** **_**in** _ ** **_**far lower spirits than he came with.** _ **

“You know, as easy as it is to criticize Rhodes, I honestly can’t blame him for this.” Oliver muttered sadly. “Considering how alike playboy Tony and I are, I understand exactly what the Colonel’s thinking.”

“What could he possibly be thinking that had him shut his friend up like that?” Conner snapped, visibly upset by the interaction they had just witnessed.

“He’s thinking that his friend is running scared.” Artemis stated quietly, shocking the hell out of everyone considering the fact that she had mostly been against Tony. “He thinks he understands what Tony faced in that valley and he thinks Tony’s decision to turn away from weapons manufacturing is a sort of… extreme reversal. A sort of, ‘I made weapons so I was kidnapped. If I don’t make weapons, I won’t be kidnapped again’ reaction.”

“Artemis is right.” M’gann added after the blonde trailed off. “Rhodey doesn’t understand what Tony saw, he doesn’t understand how Tony _feels_ at the realization that what he created to be used for _protection_ and to the _catch the bad guys_ has been turned on innocent lives.”

“While you’re both right, there’s another factor you haven’t considered.” John spoke, weighing in on the conversation. “Rhodes is a soldier and, from everything we’ve seen, he’s serving as the military’s liaison to Stark Industries. It puts him in a uniquely tight position in this situation: even if he’s happy about Tony’s decision to pull the plug on making weapons, his loyalty to his job mean he can’t just say ‘you did great, Tony!’ right in the middle of the army base. It’d be like spitting in their eye.”

“That’s not enough reason for him to just shut Tony out like that!” Zatanna rejoined, clearly unwilling to simply accept what she was hearing. From the way Conner and Wally nodded, it was clear that they stood with her on this. “His _job_? That’s his excuse for being a bad friend?”

“If I may…?” Kaldur said jumping in just before Clark or Bruce could. When the members of the League nodded, the young Atlantean turned to his teammates. “Do you remember when the Colonel and Tony were on the plane to Afghanistan?” When they all nodded, he continued, “Colonel Rhodes said something there that I think perfectly explains his behavior.”

“What could he possibly have said to justify acting like a dick?” Wally hotly asked. As someone who valued the bonds of friendship he had, he simply couldn’t fathom a possible explanation for what they had just witnessed. “I mean come on, dude! Are you looking at Tony’s face right now?” He flung an arm wildly toward the frozen image of the billionaire’s dejected expression. “Nothing justifies doing that-!”

“Wally!” Artemis snapped, drawing his attention to herself and leaving the young speedster to wonder when he had gotten to his feet. “Calm down Wally. Give him a chance to explain.”

It was clearly a struggle for the redhead but, in the end, he capitulated, knowing that his girlfriend was right.

Sending a grateful nod toward the archer, Kaldur spoke again: “On the flight to Afghanistan, the Colonel stated that Tony was ‘constitutionally incapable of being responsible.’ A statement like that is not made after a single offence, certainly not between friends. After what we witnessed to that point, could you really say that he was wrong?” He paused for a second to let them think it over before continuing, “Fast forward to what we just witnessed. Considering what Artemis and M’gann have said, it stands to reason that the Colonel feels that his chronically irresponsible friend is making a rash decision and it is his job as a close friend to straighten him out.”

“By shutting him down when he tries to do something decent for a change?” The sneer on her face was enough of an indicator of what Zatanna thought of that.

“By asking his friend to think things through.” Dinah countered, finally speaking up. “Think about it, all of you: Rhodey didn’t flat out reject Tony, even if his harsh tone and curt response made it seem that way. Instead, he asked Tony to get ‘his mind right.’ Tony just got back from a harrowing experience, rejected going to a hospital for a check up and, after calling a press conference, he completely shuts down the very thing that made his company what it was. No matter how you look at it, that’s a knee-jerk response, not something well thought out.”

“Right after that, Tony shows up talking about a _project_ that he’s unwilling to really say much about except that it’s ‘big’ and he ‘wants him to be a part of it.’” Bruce continued. “To Rhodes, who thinks Tony is already terrible at being responsible, that behavior is the textbook definition of erratic.”

“To you, the Colonel’s actions are harsh and unfeeling; to him, he may very well be trying to protect his friend.” Diana stated. “What many of you do not realize is that by completely shutting down the weapons development arm of his company -their nation’s biggest weapons developer- Tony has inadvertently created a storm, the effects of which could negatively affect the country’s international standing. If that happens, it will put pressure on the politicians in positions of leadership who will put pressure on the military heads beneath them who may very well do whatever it takes to get Tony back on board.” The new angle the Themysciran Ambassador threw in completely overturned everything Zatanna, Wally and Conner were thinking of. “You think the terrorists were harsh on him in that valley? Then you have no idea the things certain people in the government will be willing to do if it ensures that they retain given resources.” No one needed to be given specific names; they all knew the lengths to which people like Amanda Waller were willing to go in service of their country.

“The Princess is right.” Oliver nodded. “The government will lean heavily on Tony to get his weapons development back up and I’m willing to bet that a not insubstantial number of his board are currently pushing in the same direction. Hell, I’m pretty sure Stane’s the only one fighting for Tony’s desires and if he can’t get enough support then Tony’s problems are going to start from within his own company. The fact that Stark Industries stock’s already dropping is only going to mount more pressure.”

“Right now, the Colonel sees himself as the friend that has to set Stark straight.” Clark concluded, knowing that they were finally beginning to see things in a different light. “I don’t think he bothered so much about Tony shutting down his weapons development arm as he is about _how_ Tony’s doing it.”

The conversation ended there, leaving each member of the Team with a great deal of information to think over.

**_**The movie switched scenes, showing an** _ ** **_**aerial view of** _ ** **_**Tony’s majestic home** _ ** **_**before transitioning to** _ ** **_**hi** _ ** **_**s lab** _ ** **_**as he passed his hand over a controller** _ ** **_**causing it to light up with symbols rather than letters** _ ** **_**in a completely unique set up** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Interesting…” Bruce muttered as he noted the unique symbols on the holographic keyboard. “A unique level of security.”

Dick turned to his mentor, wondering what the older man meant. “What do you mean, B?”

“The keyboard. The symbols on it don’t match any cryptography scheme I know and while it’s possible that they match with the written language on their world, I don’t think that’s it.”

“So…” Hal started. “You gonna tell us what it means?”

“It means that Stark probably created a completely unique symbol-based language and programmed his personal system with it.” Bruce explained. “Considering the unique style of the keyboard, it is probably enough to throw most mid-level hackers off if they were to try to hack into it-”

“Because the input language is completely different from what they know.” Oliver nodded. “It won’t be enough to stop the truly determined, uber-elite hackers but that will knock more than eighty percent of them for six.”

**_**Onscreen, Tony swiftly punched in a series of commands before sitting back and calling out:** _ ** **_**"JARVIS, you** _ ** **__ ** **_**up?"** _ **

**_**"For you, sir, always." The AI** _ ** **_**’s posh, faintly accented voice rang out.** _ **

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**stared at the trio of monitors set up before him, reading through the information on display before issuing out a new command:** _ ** **_**"I'd like to open a new project file, index as Mark II."** _ **

**_**"Shall I store this on the Stark Industries Central Database?" JARVIS asked** _ ** **_**as** _ ** **_**Tony pulled** _ ** **__ ** **_**up a holographic diagram of the M** _ ** **_**onstrosity** _ ** **__ ** **_**and dragged it across** _ ** **_**both screens** _ ** **_**before** _ ** **_**mov** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**it to** _ ** **_**3D projection** _ ** **_**table** _ ** **_**. Less than a second later, the diagram was projected into a three dimensional form, it’s various parts isolated before being reconstituted into a single image that hovered above the table** _ ** **_**.** _ **

Hal whistled in admiration. “Now that’s a neat piece of tech. I mean, I know the Tamaraneans have something more advanced than this but it’s still pretty impressive.”

“Especially when you consider that it’s purely human intelligence that created this.” John added. “I know Mister Terrific’s been working on something like this for a while but he’s taking a lot of cues from Apokoliptian and Atlantean tech.”

“I think Luthor’s got something similar.” Clark admitted grudgingly. “Nothing as advanced from what I’ve seen but then again I’m not in his inner circle so…”

**_**"Actually, I don't know who to trust right now. Till further notice, why don't we just keep** _ ** **__ ** **_**everything on my private server?" Tony suggested.** _ **

**_**"Working on a secret project, are we, sir?" The AI questioned, a bit of a smirk noticeable in his** _ ** **__ ** **_**voice.** _ **

**_**"I don't want this winding up in the wrong hands."** _ ** **__ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**explained as he** _ ** **_**ma** _ ** **_**de** _ ** **_**his way over to the hologram** _ ** **_**. Now** _ ** **_**standing before it** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **__ ** **_**he** _ ** **_**gently** _ ** **__ ** **_**lift** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**up the helmet portion** _ ** **_**and tossed it into the holographic bin that had appeared by the side. Following this, he** _ ** **_**removed** _ ** **_**the bulky** _ ** **_**part of the torso and tossed it in** _ ** **_**to the** _ ** **_**bin** _ ** **_**as well,** _ ** **__ ** **_**leaving a** _ ** **_**smaller** _ ** **_**skeletal frame.** _ ** **__ ** **_**For a final touch, he lifted the** _ ** **_**arms** _ ** **_**and gave it a little spin.** _ ** **_**"Maybe in mine, it can actually do some good."** _ **

“And so it begins…” Wally announced in a dramatically deep voice. “The birth of a hero…”

“Whoa, slow down there Baywatch.” Artemis frowned at him. “Wasn’t this ‘hero’ born in that valley?”

“Artemis is right, Wally.” Conner nodded. “Tony first created the suit in the cave; he’s just streamlining it here.”

“Actually, _Wally_ is correct.” Kaldur objected. “The _suit_ was created in the cave, yes, but Tony has just expressed the idea to use it for good.”

“The _Monstrosity_ was created as a means of escaping the terrorists.” Zatanna nodded. “That was necessity; the decision to use it for good is what separates this from the break out and shows Tony’s first steps at committing to the heroic path.”

Hal nodded, clearly in agreement. “It’s just like what the Guardians told me when I started out: the element of choice is what truly defines a hero. The ring chooses us, yeah, but the decision to actually _achieve_ the potential the ring caught a glimpse of is purely up to the individual.”

“Huh. So they used that line on you too.” John mused. “Ganthet?”

“And Sayd.” Hal replied in a burst of laughter. “And here I thought I got the special treatment.”

**_**While the Lanterns laughed, the movie rolled on, now showing the** _ ** **_**Afghanistan** _ ** **_**deserts as** _ ** **_**a sandstorm blew through the lands** _ ** **_**. The camera panned down to show, first one man, then a much larger group, all swaddled in protective clothing and all digging with steadfast** _ ** **_**determination** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**And then the first man** _ ** **_**began to uncover scraps of metal.** _ **

“Oh…” Oliver groaned. “Looks like Tony’s paranoia is gearing up to come bite him in the ass.”

**_**Other me** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**quickly i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**te** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**sified their efforts a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d, withi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a short while, the desert bega** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to give up the hidde** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**treasures.** _ **

**_**By this time, the area had become abuzz with activity: the diggers were hard at work u** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**coveri** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g more a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d more metal scraps while others tra** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**sported the u** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**covered scraps to o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e of two** _ ** **_**pick-up truck** _ ** **_**s a short dista** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ce away.** _ **

**_**Sudde** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ly, o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e of the diggers tossed his shovel aside a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d tore through the sa** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d with his fi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**gers to reveal a** _ ** **_ **very** _ ** **_**familiar metal faceplate.** _ **

“Oh boy!” Zatanna frowned as she finally cottoned on to what the excavation was all about. “This is definitely _not_ going to end well!”

**_**The** _ ** **_**situatio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ly got worse as the ma** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**who had fou** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d the Monstrosity’s faceplate yelled something and a familiar figure** _ ** **_**turned to him** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Neither the large bur** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**on the side of his face not the large, glare-protection** _ ** **_**goggles** _ ** **_**could hide his identity as he ordered the man to come over.** _ ** **__ ** **_**The man who had nearly tortured Yinsen, the man who had stood by and watched as Tony was brutally tortured,** _ ** **_**took the mask** _ ** **_**and held it up, giving the faceplate a dark glare.** _ **

“Okay… timeout.” Artemis called, getting Dinah to hit the pause button with a somewhat amused look on her face. “So… Tony: idiot or not?”

It didn’t take a genius to understand what she meant: Tony’s decision to not tell anyone the truth about how he had gotten out of the valley -while understandable- meant that he had left the parts of his creation scattered all around that valley, just lying there for anyone to find.

And the worst possible person had just found it.

“I… I’m honestly not sure where to put him.” Oliver admitted. “I agree with his paranoia about the suit; I’ve had to set a few documents ablaze just to ensure they didn’t fall into the wrong hands-”

“But how exactly does one ‘set ablaze’ a suit of armor?” Diana asked with a frown. “Especially considering his circumstances: alone in the desert, on the run from whatever was left of the terrorists’ forces and clearly in pain.”

“Given the circumstances, leaving the suit was the best available option.” Dick muttered. “I mean, it wasn’t the optimal choice if all things were equal but that’s the problem: things _weren’t_ equal. At that point, gathering the suit’s parts and setting them ablaze would have painted a giant ‘point me’ arrow in Tony’s direction to whatever terrorists stationed to patrol the valley.”

“And it would likely have been in vain regardless.” Kaldur added. “Considering that the suit was created using missile components, it stand to reason that they would require an extreme degree of heat to melt them into unusable parts and even then, it would have taken more time than Tony had to build up such a flame, to say nothing of the time it would take for the components themselves to melt.”

“Kaldur and Robin are correct: it would have taken time and unavailable resources to truly dispose of the suit and doing so would have helped his enemies find him far faster than otherwise.” Bruce’s tone was calm and clear but Dick sensed an underlying tension in it. “On the other hand, telling his friend to send scouting parties to find those components would have provided the government with a new project for him, one that could very easily spiral out of control. No, Tony’s decision to leave the components for the desert to claim was the most pragmatic one available.”

“Even if it has come back to bite him in the ass?” Hal asked.

“Hindsight is twenty-twenty." Dinah shrugged before leaning forward, an intense look on her face. “Put yourself in Tony’s shoes at that exact moment: could you have proffered a better option?”

The conversation died there.

**_**The scene now showed** _ ** **_**Tony at his desk, working on a mechanical boot** _ ** **_**together with** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**ro** _ ** **_**bot** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Yes!” Conner pumped his fist into the air excitedly. “We’re back to the good stuff!”

“You are _seriously_ into thatsuit of armor aren’t you?” Clark mused, directing a smile at the younger Kryptonian.

“What’s not to like?” He shot back with a grin. “No capes, no tights, just sheer badassery- OW! M’gann! What-!?”

“No swearing.” The Martian declared, to the amusement of everyone present. “You’re not Wally.”

“You know, I should get upset about that but somehow, I’m just…” Wally shrugged. “On the plus side, Conner’s right: we _are_ back to the good stuff.” He shared a knowing glance with Dick.

The young hero nodded. “Looks like he’s working from the ground up with this and honestly, I think I’m already impressed with the visible improvement in this boot’s design compared to that of the _Monstrosity_.”

“Amen to that.” John agreed. “I almost wish Vic was here to see this.”

Diana slanted an amused look at the dark complected Lantern. “Almost?”

“If he was here, we’d be bogged down in talks about servomotors and torque ratios.” John shuddered as Oliver, Clark and Dinah winced. “Rather not go through that again. Ever.”

**_**"Next. Up." Tony** _ ** **__ ** **_**instructed,** _ ** **_**as he worked away at the heel of** _ ** **_**the b** _ ** **_**o** _ ** **_**ot** _ ** **_**while the bot** _ ** **_**adjust to follow** _ ** **_**hi** _ ** **_**s instructions.** _ ** **_**A moment later, he glanced up to inspect the bot’s work only to huff in exasperation at the terrible job it was doing.** _ ** **_**"** _ ** **_**That’s it. That’s- move over.” He adjusted his position and went to work correcting the bot’s errors. “** _ ** **_**You are a** _ ** **__ ** **_**tragedy..."** _ **

**_**The sce** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e cha** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ged,** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ow showi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **_**Tony in his garage** _ ** **_**. He was sta** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**di** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a la** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**di** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **__ ** **_**area of some sort, his feet i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**boots** _ ** **_**. He had two mecha** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ical arms beside him, o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e supporti** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g a camera a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d the other -the bot from the previous sce** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e- had a fire exti** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**guisher attached to it.** _ **

**_**"Okay, let's do this** _ ** **__ ** **_**right.** _ ** **_**” To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y muttered to himself, rolli** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g his shoulders** _ ** **__ ** **_**to work out a few ki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ks. “** _ ** **_**Start mark, half a meter back and center." He stepp** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **__ ** **_**o** _ ** **_**nto the center of** _ ** **__ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**la** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**di** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g area** _ ** **_**then look** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**the bot** _ ** **_**holding** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**fire extinguisher. "DUM-E, look** _ ** **__ ** **_**alive. You're on standby for fire safety."** _ ** **_**Next, he tur** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ed to the o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e holdi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **_**the camera. "** _ ** **_**You** _ ** **_**, roll it."** _ **

**_**The camera view switched to that of the bot, showi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y as he grabbed a pair of co** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**trollers for each boot and prepared for his test flight.** _ ** **_**"Okay. Activate hand controls. We're gonna start off nice and** _ ** **__ ** **_**easy** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**see if** _ ** **_**ten percent** _ ** **_**thrust capacity achieves lift."** _ **

The Cave was silent now, each person present eager to see how Tony’s invention would perform. No one present was more eager than Conner, though, as the Kryptonian clone practically vibrated in his eagerness.

**_**"And three... Two... One** _ ** **_**!** _ ** **_**"** _ **

**_**T** _ ** **_**he boots** _ ** **_**lit up i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a flare of e** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ergy that s** _ ** **_**en** _ ** **_**t** _ ** **_**him** _ ** **_**blast** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**up and back, flingi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g him right** _ ** **_**into the concrete** _ ** **_**support overhead before gravity did its thi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d he dropped o** _ ** **_**nto the ground behind his toolbox** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**I** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**ttempt to help** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**DUM-E** _ ** **_**tur** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ed to him blast** _ ** **_**ed Tony** _ ** **__ ** **_**with the fire extinguisher.** _ **

**_**Had the bot bee** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a complex, AI-co** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**trolled o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e rather that a simple, voice-programmed make, it would have bee** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the ultimate case of ‘i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**sult to i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**jury.’** _ **

The Cave was filled with uproarious laughter after that with Wally, Artemis and Conner holding their aching sides within minutes.

“Oh my God!” Zatanna wheezed between peals of laughter. “I didn’t- I mean- He just-”

“He just splatted himself on a wall!” Hal practically choked as himself and John fell on their asses, his focus on their hard-light couch torn to shreds by his laughter. “Oh my God, Dinah, we have to see that again!”

Not even the Dark Knight could hold back his laughter, though he was still more restrained than, say, Oliver’s wild cackles.

“Oh man!” Wally gasped as they finally began to rein in their laughter, “That was just perfect!”

“Okay, _now_ I want to see what happens next.” Artemis snorted.

**_**T** _ ** **_**he movie moved on to show a montage of clips: T** _ ** **_**ony** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**t his desk, p** _ ** **_**ound** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**away at a keyboard with one hand while guzzling a mug of coffee; himself and the DUM-E bot re-calibrating something or the other in the boot; Tony at the projection table, tinkering with a hologram of the skeletal frame of a gauntlet before putting his arm through the gauntlet and maneuvering it as if it was really on his arm.** _ **

“Good to see his little _incident_ hasn’t cost him a few brain cells.” Dinah said, unable to hide the little snicker that her own words had caused her.

“That’s great and all but Bruce?” The Dark Knight turned to his protege. “I know what I want for my birthday.”

“Let me guess: a suit of armor _a la_ Tony’s?” Wally said with a playful eyeroll.

“That’s for Conner and you and I will be work on laying the groundwork for that later.” Dick waved dismissively before a determined glint entered his eyes. “No, I want a three dimensional holographic projection table!” Ignoring Artemis’ lazily drawled ‘Of course you do,’ he continued: “I mean, can you guys imagine running three-dee simulations of various missions using this thing?! Or running three-dee microscopic analyses! We’d be able to see exactly how a structure looks like without having to first overlay a bunch of two-dee diagrams-”

“Robin?” The sheer amount of _hope_ visible in the young boy’s eyes had Bruce sighing. “I’ll talk to Doctor Stone about drawing up schematics.” He stoically refused to smile when his protege shouted ‘Yes!’ at the loudest possible volume he could manage and he maintained his silence when Dinah muttered a quiet ‘Softie’ just after resuming the movie.

He hadn’t bought anything special for Dick in quite a while and, while the boy never went out of his way to ask, Bruce remembered his own childhood days and how he had always waited eagerly for his parents’ gifts.

He didn’t consider himself a ‘softie’ but he knew, deep inside, that he would do whatever was necessary to ensure that his charge retained that smile just one more day.

**_**The** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ext sce** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e showed** _ ** **_**Tony working on the** _ ** **_**gau** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tlet agai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**. This time, though, he was worki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the real thi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**a skeletal framework of metal a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d wires that he carefully e** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**closed his arm i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**. He was i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the middle of solderi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g a pair of wires whe** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**he** _ ** **_**noticed Pepper** _ ** **_**walki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g dow** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the stairs, a mug bala** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ced atop a brow** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**box i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**her ha** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d.** _ ** **__ **

**_**He grimaced, k**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **owi**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **g that she o**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **ly ever came dow**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **to his workshop to get him**_** ** _ **out**_** ** _ **of said workshop**_** ** _ **but he had**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **o choice: the gau**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **tlet**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **eeded testi**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **g.**_**

**_**"Up two.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **_**He instructed** _ ** **_**Jarvis as she walked i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to the workshop** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**All right,** _ ** **__ ** **_**set that."** _ **

**_**"I've been buzzing you. Did you hear the intercom?"** _ **

**_**"Yeah, everything's…** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ ** **_**He paused as he clamped the fi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**al seal o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the gau** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tlet shut, realizi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g that he had barely u** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**derstood a word of what she’d said. “** _ ** **_**What?"** _ **

“Looks like he’s lost in his work again.” Clark commented. Off the side, M’gann jabbed an elbow into her boyfriend’s side, a teasing smile curling her lips as he feigned a painful collapse into her side. “I’m really interested in seeing just how much of an improvement this _Mark II_ will be compared to the _Mo_ _n_ _strosity_.”

**_**"Obadiah's upstairs."** _ ** **_**Pepper** _ ** **_**informed him** _ ** **_**as she placed the box o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to a clear space o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the table.** _ **

**_**"Great! Great. I'll be right up." He said** _ ** **_**as he** _ ** **__ ** **_**carefully detached the** _ ** **__ ** **_**bare-bo** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**es gau** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tlet** _ ** **_**from the** _ ** **_**platform** _ ** **_**support** _ ** **_**i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **_**it.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"Okay."** _ **

**_**"What would you like me to tell him?" She asked** _ ** **_**as she walked up to him.** _ ** **_**"I thought you said you were done** _ ** **__ ** **_**making weapons."** _ **

**_**"It isn** _ ** **_**’t** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **_**Tony explained,** _ ** **_**as he held** _ ** **__ ** **_**out** _ ** **_**his arm** _ ** **__ ** **_**and power** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**it up.** _ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**This is a flight stabilizer. It's completely harmless."** _ **

“Twenty bucks says it turns out to be a weapon.” Wally smirked at his girlfriend only for her to roll her eyes and scoff.

“I know a sucker bet when I see one Baywatch.”

**_**Her words were practically prophetic: a mome** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t** _ ** **__ ** **_**after To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y’s declaratio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**, a powerful** _ ** **_**b** _ ** **_**urst** _ ** **_**of energy** _ ** **_**shot out of the ‘stabilizer’, o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ce agai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**se** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**di** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g the billio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**aire flyi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d fli** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**gi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y loose papers i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to the air.** _ ** **_**Pepper** _ ** **_**fli** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ched away from the commotio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**, ducki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d coveri** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g her ears i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**fear** _ ** **_**as several things around the** _ ** **__ ** **_**lab clattered to the floor.** _ **

**_**Pepper turned** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d leveled her most ‘I am utterly disappoi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ted i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**you’ glare at him.** _ ** **__ **

**_**Se** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**si** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g that she was** _ ** **_**clearly upset at him, To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**sta** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tly tried to explai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**, de** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d justify** _ ** **_**what had just occurred.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"I didn't expect that."** _ **

**_**Her arched look told him exactly what she thought of that.** _ **

The happenings on the screen sent everyone into another burst of laughter, though it was far more restrained this time.

“Honestly, for a genius, he seems to get thrown around a lot.” John said as they all settled down again. “You’d think he’d make whatever calculations he deemed necessary to ensure that he’s as close to what he needs as possible and thus not getting flung around like a kid’s toy.”

“You’re assuming that he knows exactly what he’s working toward.” Bruce shook his head, disagreeing. “What you don’t understand is that he only has a vague _idea_ of what he wants: a concept, if you will. The effects of how that will translate into reality, he has no way of knowing; if he knew exactly how to fine tune everything to ensure that he made absolutely no mistakes, it would be far less realistic. It would be like sailing in uncharted waters and accurately predicting the exact path that would offer next to no problems at all; the chances of that are somewhere in the one in fourteen million range.”

“One in _fourtee_ _n_ _millio_ _n_?” Oliver shook his head good-naturedly. “Exaggerating much?”

“Exaggeration or not, I am of the opinion that Bruce’s point stands.” Diana stated. “One does not simply succeed at something that has never been attempted without a setback or the other. Rather, it is the determination to push past the setbacks, the failures and the disappointments that makes the final victory all the sweeter.”

“And the Princess sums it up best.” Hal nodded.

**_**While the Watchers talked, the movie played o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ow showi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **_**T** _ ** **_**o** _ ** **_**ny** _ ** **_**as he swiftly made his way up the** _ ** **_**stairs** _ ** **_**to a tastefully decorated livi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g area.** _ **

**_**Seated at the head of a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**exquisite Bliith** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**er was** _ ** **_**Obadiah** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **__ ** **_**playi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **__ ** **_**a soothi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g sympho** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y u** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**til his ward strolled i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**. The older ma** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**could** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**’t help but arch a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**eyebrow at the way To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y just strolled i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ot a care i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the world a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d the eyebrow o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ly crept higher whe** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his ward asked a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**chala** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t,** _ ** **_**"How'd it go?"** _ ** **_**Sta** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e did** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**’t say a word; i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**stead, he co** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ti** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ued with his ge** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tle tappi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g at the pia** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**o.** _ **

**_**At about that time, To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y walked up to the cream colored couch where Pepper sat, worki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g away at somethi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**her laptop, a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**oticed the box of pizza lyi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the coffee table.** _ ** **_**"It** _ ** **__ ** **_**went that bad, huh?"** _ **

**_**"Just because I brought pizza back from New York doesn't mean it went bad." Obie** _ ** **_**replie** _ ** **_**d,** _ ** **_**this time** _ ** **_**not** _ ** **__ ** **_**even** _ ** **_**bother** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**look** _ ** **__ ** **_**up from the piano.** _ **

“Anybody get the whole pizza thing?” Conner asked, a perplexed look on his face. “Because all I’m thinking is how a single box is less than a snack.”

“It is their system.” Diana replied, as a nostalgic smile crossed her beautiful features. “Steve and I had a similar system in place to give ourselves a ‘heads up’ as he referred to is, regarding how our day went.”

The Team all leaned in eagerly: if the regular, human lives of Superman and Batman were somewhat mysterious then such tales of the Amazon Princess’ alter ego, Diana Prince, were black ops ghost missions. There was no ‘Boy Wonder’ to pump for details, no Lois Lane or Clark Kent news articles to suss the details from: Diana had no protege -to their admittedly shallow knowledge and the Ambassador only made public appearances where necessary. Hell, even members of the League who rarely interacted with the ‘Big Three’ -including people like John and Hal- didn’t know much!

As such, they were extremely eager to hear this and Diana, who was amused by how excited they seemed, saw no reason to disappoint them. “Unlike Tony and Obadiah, Steve and I had ice cream as our signal: chocolate chip meant good, mint meant bad and the shops they were purchased from told of how good or bad the situation.”

“Lois and I have a different system in place but it works almost as well as yours.” Clark nodded, an equally wistful smile on his face. “A book at the windowsill means whoever’s inside had bad news. And a -”

“Wait. A book at the windowsill?” Oliver asked with a roll of his eyes. “I mean come on!”

“Hey, Lois chose that.” The Kryptonian shrugged. “I know you guys probably won’t believe me but Lois actually hated reading when she was a kid.”

 _That_ … that was unexpected, as evidenced by the number of open jaws.

Clark couldn’t hide the grin he sported if he tried. “Yeah, I had that same reaction when she told me. Apparently, she didn’t like reading till she was in her early twenties. As a kid -an ‘army brat’ as she likes to brag- she cared more about getting into scrapes and scuffles. Her words, not mine. Unfortunately, her mother’s sister lived close by and was always trying to get her to sit indoors and read. She still associates some novels with her aunt yelling about how good books are and how she had to spend time reading ‘boring stories about other people’s adventures instead of making my own.’ Again, her words.”

“So the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, famous for creating engaging articles on a wide range of topics for a large number of readers _disliked_ reading until a few years ago.” Artemis summarized, her tone still pointing to the fact that she was _somewhat_ unconvinced about that.

“I guess GA was right.” Wally muttered beside her. “Reality _did_ leave us a while back.”

**_**"Sure doesn't." Tony said, opening the box and taking a slice.** _ ** **_**“Oh boy.”** _ **

**_**"It would have gone** _ ** **__ ** **_**better if you were there."** _ ** **_**Obadiah admitted as he stopped playi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d stood up.** _ **

**_**"You told me to lay low. That's what I've been doing. I lay low, and you take care of all..." Tony** _ ** **_**gestured arou** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ebulously to remi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d the older ma** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**of his words at the factory.** _ **

**_**"Hey, come on. In public. The press.** _ ** **_**” Obadiah explai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ed as he walked over to joi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**Pepper a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the couch.** _ ** **__ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**This was a board of directors meeting."** _ **

**_**"This was a board of directors meeting?" Tony asked, n** _ ** **_**ow sou** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**di** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g ge** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ui** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ely** _ ** **_**surprised.** _ **

Oliver balked in shock. “He missed a Board meeting?! After that shit-storm of a press conference?!”

“I’m almost afraid of what they’ll do to him.” Bruce admitted with a grimace, surprising the hell out of the Team save Dick.

The life of a billionaire playboy seemed alluring from a distance but now they were beginning to realize that things probably weren’t as simple as they seemed.

**_**"The board is claiming you have post-traumatic stress. They're filing an injunction." Obadiah** _ ** **__ ** **_**informed him.** _ ** **_**No bullshit,** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**o da** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ci** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g arou** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d the topic.** _ **

**_**To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y recog** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ized the fra** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**k ho** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**esty i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his me** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tor’s words a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d he seemed baffled by the very idea that the board would do such.** _ ** **_**"A what?** _ ** **_**!** _ ** **_**"** _ **

**_**"They want to lock you out."** _ ** **_**Sta** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e** _ ** **__ ** **_**stat** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**, agai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**without mi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ci** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g words** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Why, 'cause the stocks dipped 40 points? We knew that was gonna happen." Tony tried to** _ ** **__ ** **_**argue.** _ **

**_**"Fifty-six and a half." Pepper jumped in and corrected.** _ **

“Fifty-six and-” Oliver choked midway through his exclamation. “Rochev would serve my balls up to the Board if I ever took a decision that resulted in _that_!”

“At least now we know why they want to lock him out.” Bruce sighed. He didn’t agree with them, of course, but he wasn’t naive enough to see them as the enemy here: he sat on the Board of a few companies himself and so he knew what it was like to be on the other side. In addition to this, he realized that the only reason everyone present was siding with Tony was that they knew all the details themselves: the truth about how Tony escaped, Yinsen’s influence… without those details, he could easily see himself thinking of Tony’s behaviour as signs of a PTSD-afflicted mind.

“Okay, hold on.” Zatanna frowned. “What’s an injunction? And what does Obie mean, ‘they want to lock you out’?”

Four adults, Oliver, Bruce, Clark and Dinah, shared a glance and -after what seemed like a mental game of rock-paper-scissors- the blonde heroine turned to her charges. “Remember what Superman said about checks and balances and how they apply to a CEO-Board of Directors relationship?” When they all nodded, she continued: “Well, an injunction is one of those ‘Anti-CEO’ checks. It’s a process that allows the Board to force the CEO to either take certain steps or, in this case, to restrain the CEO from taking an active role in making certain, critical decisions.”

“That’s what locking him out means.” M’gann said, her eyes wide with understanding and a not insubstantial amount of trepidation. “They want to stop him from making any decisions so they can ignore what he said at the press conference!”

Dinah shrugged helplessly even as Conner saw red. “How can they do that?! Cant they see what-”

“They can’t.” Dick interrupted, his tone utterly dispassionate. “They can’t see what Tony’s trying to do because they aren’t _us._ They don’t know about Yinsen or his sacrifice and how it affected Tony. They don’t see that Tony is trying to make things better; like Kaldur pointed out earlier, they can only see the after effects that, taken alone, point to exactly what they think: post-traumatic stress.”

“But… they should…” Conner gritted his teeth and took a few breaths to fight back the anger he could feel bubbling up inside him. “He’s their CEO right? So shouldn’t they trust him?”

“Trust is an expensive commodity in the business world, kid.” Oliver sighed, suddenly sounding _far_ older than they had ever heard. “Everyone wants to get ahead so those you trust today could just as easily stab you in the back tomorrow. In a case like this, though, it becomes a question of cost: they need to weigh the cost of trusting Tony -an erratic, seemingly PTSD Tony who’s irresponsible on a good day- against the cost of completely losing everything they’ve invested into Stark Industries.” Leaning forward, the Emerald Archer caught and held each and every one of their gazes. “Ignore everything you saw in the terrorists’ hideout and consider what you first thought of Tony and how he’s behaving now: would you place your trust in him over the cost of losing decades of your investments in that situation?”

It was clear that Kaldur, Dick, Artemis and -surprisingly- Wally easily understood what he meant but it was just as clear that Conner, M’gann and Zatanna had only grudgingly accepted it.

**_**"It doesn't matter. We own the controlling interest in the company." Tony countered,** _ ** **_**firi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**nn** _ ** **_**oyed glare at** _ ** **_**his assistant.** _ **

**_**"Tony, the board has rights, too.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **_**Ob** _ ** **_**adiah** _ ** **__ ** **_**said, tryi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g to placate his i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ce** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**sed charge** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**They're making the case that you and your new direction isn't in the company's best interest."** _ **

**_**"I'm being responsible!** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ ** **_**To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y s** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**apped, ear** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g a slightly disbelievi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g look from his me** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tor. “** _ ** **_**That's a new direction for me, for the company.** _ ** **_**” Realizi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g that simply yelli** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g would do** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**o good, the billio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**aire switched to tryi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g to explai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**. “** _ ** **_**I mean,** _ ** **__ ** **_**me on the company's behalf being responsible for the way that..."** _ ** **_**Whe** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e** _ ** **_**ven Pepper sighed** _ ** **_**, he k** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ew that he was fighti** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g a losi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g battle** _ ** **_**. "This is great."** _ **

**_**"Oh, come on. Tony.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **_**Ob** _ ** **_**adiah pushed off the couch** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**“To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y!”** _ **

**_**"I'll be in the shop." Tony called back** _ ** **_**as he be** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t to grab the box of pizza.** _ **

**_**That was the break Obadiah** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**eeded as he quickly caught up with the you** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ger ma** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**"Hey, hey! Hey, Tony. Listen."** _ ** **_**He sighed as he drew his ward closer.** _ ** **_**"I'm trying to turn this thing around, but you gotta give me something. Something to** _ ** **__ ** **_**pitch them." He** _ ** **_**was practically** _ ** **_**pleading** _ ** **__ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ow, though his words seemed u** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**able to get past To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y’s impassive stare** _ ** **_**. "Let me have the engineers analyze that.** _ ** **__ ** **_**You know, draw up some specs." He offered** _ ** **_**, gesturi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g toward the arc reactor embedded i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y’s chest** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“That… that could work.” Clark mused. “I mean, I’m no expert in boardroom meetings but something like the arc reactor? They just need to patent it and Tony can make the switch from weapons developer to single biggest clean energy provider on the planet.”

“Indeed.” Bruce nodded. “He’d need a good sales pitch to turn the board’s opinion around but if he leverages on how it will open them to the international market with next to no additional cost in production -since the equipment at hand would serve to create new reactors- as well as allowing the company to diversify into other possible applications in things like robotics, medical implants and the like… it could work.”

**_**"No. No, absolutely not." Tony refused.** _ **

“And there goes that idea.” John sighed. “I get that Tony is afraid and all but his paranoia and simple pigheadedness here might very well come back to bite him in the ass.”

“I’m seriously hoping it doesn’t.” Oliver admitted. “Even though I don’t believe that myself.”

**_**"It'll give me a bone to throw the boys in New York!" Obadiah continued** _ ** **_**tryi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g to** _ ** **_**urge his** _ ** **_**ward to see reaso** _ ** **_**n.** _ **

**_**"This one stays with me.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ ** **_**To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y replied stoically,** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ot budgi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ch. “** _ ** **_**That's it, Obie. Forget it."** _ **

**_**"All right, well, this stays with me, then." Ob** _ ** **_**adiah** _ ** **_**said** _ ** **_**somewhat petula** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tly** _ ** **_**, taking the pizza back.** _ ** **_**As a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**afterthought,** _ ** **_**turned it and** _ ** **__ ** **_**opened it for Tony** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**"Go on, here, you can have a piece. Take two."** _ **

**_**"Thank you." Tony said, taking a couple of slices.** _ **

**_**"You mind if I come down there and see what you're doing?" Obadiah asked.** _ **

**_**"Good night, Obie." Tony called back.** _ **

“And _that_ , ladies and gents, is how ****n**** ** **ot**** to treat your Board of Directors 101 complete with live demonstrations and actual stakes.” Oliver remarked tiredly, all but slumped into Dinah’s side, the heels of his palms pressed to his eyes. “Seriously kids, remember that; if any of you decides to walk the way of business and you make it big, remember not to be so damned pigheaded.”

“A touch too dramatic for me, but he gets the point across.” Diana muttered to Clark who turned to her with sad eyes.

“He’s been there before, you know.” The Man of Steel practically whispered as Zatanna and M’gann brought up the matter of Obadiah’s somewhat petulant actions towards the end of that scene. “Oliver nearly lost Queen Consolidated to Isabel Rochev in his early days as the Green Arrow. Watching it now…”

“It is a painful reminder of what he almost lost.” Diana finished, now understanding why Oliver simply sat and watched the goings-on around him. “Much like how the Colonel’s stance on UAVs matched Hal’s almost perfectly.”

“Exactly.” Clark nodded. “It has had me wondering, really: the Death Battle series showed us alternate versions of myself and Bruce locked into combat with none of our moral restrictions; now we are watching a movie whose main protagonist closely parallels Bruce yet events around him have elements of some other League members…”

“What bothers you, Kal?”

“… I don’t know yet, Diana.” He shrugged helplessly, turning his attention back onto the main conversation going on. “I just can’t lay my finger on it…”

“ … look, I’ve dealt with stubborn man-children before.” Dinah stated, directing an unsubtle glare at a stoic Bruce. “Sometimes, they bring out the petulant brat in us all.”

Now **_**that**_** got a response as Diana snorted, Clark choked out a strangled sound that was a mix between a cough and a burst of laughter and even Oliver couldn’t suppress the shudder of his shoulders, even though he knew that his girlfriend’s comment had been directed at him too.

It was simply funnier to picture Bruce as a diaper-soiling, Batman onesie-wearing brat who just reduced everyone else to his level by sheer ‘force of personality.’

“You know, funny as that was, I think we’ve all sidestepped a pretty big question here.” John said as the laughter died down. “I hate to be the one to ask but… what if Obadiah’s not as clean as he-”

“Not possible.” Bruce stated immediately, cutting the Green Lantern off midway to the surprise of most of those present in the room. “Nothing we have seen so far hints at the possibility that Obadiah would try to betray Stark.”

“Maybe but-”

“If anything, we’ve seen the opposite.” Bruce continued, steamrolling over Hal’s attempt at supporting his fellow Lantern. “From the moment the met at the Air Force base, Obadiah was there to welcome his charge back. He was concerned but didn’t display an overly protective behaviour, showing that he understood Stark’s need for independence. When he was upset, he reeled his anger in and did his best to get his ward to see things in a different light and when that didn’t work, he offered to protect him. They have a system that acts like an early-warning signal to either of them and Alf- _Obadiah_ has never once displayed a desire to want to hurt Stark, even when he would have been forgiven for wringing his idiotic charge’s neck. So no, John, I don’t believe Stane has the slightest intention of betraying m- _Stark_.”

The Cave fell into an uncomfortable silence until, at Oliver’s subtle prodding, Dinah resumed the movie.

**_**T** _ ** **_**he** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ew sce** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e ope** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ed to show To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y** _ ** **__ ** **_**decked out i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the skeletal frame work of his soo** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to be suit: the boots were strapped o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to his feet a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d the ‘flight stabilizer’ gau** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tlets were o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his arms, both rigged up to his arc reactor.** _ **

**_**He was** _ ** **_**in his garage** _ ** **_**agai** _ ** **_**n,** _ ** **_**though from the** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ew camera a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**gle, they were able to see his me** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**agerie** _ ** **_**of** _ ** **_**exotic** _ ** **_**cars** _ ** **_**gleam** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**u** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**der the lights** _ ** **_**.** _ **

Neither Hal nor Conner -who were both impressed by the selection of cars- spoke up at the sight on the screen, both feeling that it was a tad too soon to do so.

**_**"Day 11, test 37, configuration 2.0." Tony cited** _ ** **_**.** _ **

Again, no one spoke, though Dick was clearly taking notes.

**_**"For lack of a better option, DUM-E is still on fire safety." Tony explained, then turned and** _ ** **__ ** **_**pointed at the droid with a glare. "If you douse me again and I'm not on fire, I'm donating you to** _ ** **__ ** **_**a city college."** _ **

**_**"All right, nice and easy.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **_**Tony declared** _ ** **_**as he** _ ** **_**ben** _ ** **_**t** _ ** **_**his knees slightly and aim** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**his palms at the floor.** _ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**Seriously, just gonna start off with 1% thrust capacity."** _ **

**_**"And three** _ ** **_**.”** _ **

**_**“T** _ ** **_**wo** _ ** **_**.”** _ ** **__ **

**_**“O** _ ** **_**ne."** _ **

**_**O** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the fi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**al cou** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t, he activated the boots a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d the flight stabilizers. The respo** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**se was immediate: all four attachme** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ts to his limbs** _ ** **_**emitt** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **__ ** **_**co** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ti** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**uous pulses of** _ ** **_**white** _ ** **_**e** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ergy that pushed** _ ** **_**Tony a couple of** _ ** **__ ** **_**feet into the air,** _ ** **_**allowi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g him to** _ ** **_**hover** _ ** **_**at a stable height. He was** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**’t quite stable, of course, as flight mea** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t that he was** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ow operati** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a truly three-dime** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**sio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**al space but he was able to quickly adjust to the co** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**sta** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t shifts a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d imbala** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ces by usi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g the stabilizers to offset said imbala** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ces** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**The stabilizers were releasi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g little sparks -attesti** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g to their** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ature as prototypes- a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d he was shaki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g like a leaf caught i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the wi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d but** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e of that could wipe the wide, almost ma** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ic gri** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his face.** _ **

**_**He was flyi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g!** _ **

“By Hera!” Diana whispered with an impressed smile. “He’s done it!”

“Looks like our boy’s got it.” Hal said with a smile of his own, unknowingly echoing the Princess’ words, though he was much louder than her hushed whisper.

It was the break they needed to get back to conversing, Hal’s words having helped to chase off most of the awkward silence that had followed Bruce’s impassioned declaration: Dick and Wally were exchanging hushed whispers about something that had their girlfriends first looking skeptical and then slowly becoming more and more interested while M’gann, Conner and Kaldur took random guesses as to the possible design of the new suit all while the adults looked on with pleased smiles.

**_**"Okay." Tony said a** _ ** **_**s** _ ** **__ ** **_**he dropped back to the grou** _ ** **_**nd for a minute.** _ ** **_**He took a step forward o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ly to stop a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d stare at** _ ** **_**DUM-E** _ ** **_**, the robot arm that was curre** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tly o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**fire fighti** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g duty.** _ **

**_**O** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e step.** _ **

**_**The arm followed.** _ **

**_**A** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**other step back.** _ **

**_**Same respo** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**se.** _ **

**_**"Please don't follow me** _ ** **__ ** **_**around with it** _ ** **_**.” He sighed exasperatedly at the bot.** _ ** **__ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**I feel like I'm gonna catch on fire spontaneously."** _ ** **_**He tur** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ed to the side to adjust somethi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his flight stabilizer o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ly to see the bot mirror his moveme** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t agai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**"Just stand down! If something happens, then come** _ ** **__ ** **_**in."** _ **

**_**"And again, let's bring it up to 2.5.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ ** **_**He said, rolli** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g his shoulders to get the ki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ks out of them. “** _ ** **_**Three, two, one."** _ **

**_**O** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ce agai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**thrusters** _ ** **_**were activated, this time releasi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g brighter pulses of light from the boots a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d the gau** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tlets.** _ ** **__ ** **_**As before, he rose i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to the air a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d for a few seco** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ds simply hovered over a si** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**gle spot, attai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**early double the i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**itial height.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Before lo** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g, though,** _ ** **_**he** _ ** **_**fou** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d himself battli** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g to retai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**co** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**trol of his flight path: while he did his best to mai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his bala** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ce i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the air, he had begu** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to drift across the garage, slowly at first but growi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g more** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**oticeable as time passed** _ ** **_**. "Okay, this is where** _ ** **__ ** **_**I don't want to be!" Tony cried out** _ ** **_**as he flew da** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**gerously close to a wall. I** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his bid to push away from the wall, though, he se** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t himself o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ambli** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g path that took him right over his fleet of cars.** _ ** **__ **

“Not the cars, not the cars!” Conner, Oliver and Artemis moaned as the billionaire flew over the Audi, bathing the sleek looking ride in smoke from the thrusters.

“They do realize that nothing’s going to happen to the cars, right?” Dick asked as he stared at the terror-stricken trio. “I mean, the thrusters don’t release flames so the worst the cars will suffer will be a heavy dusting of whatever kind of exhaust the thrusters emit.”

“I am afraid none of that matters to them right now.” Kaldur replied with an amused smile. “In the here and now, they see what looks like fire and they see it harming the cars. Nothing else matters.”

**_**O** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**scree** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**’s erratic flight co** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ti** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ued, taki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g him over his workstatio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d fli** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**gi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **_**his tools and documents** _ ** **_**i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to the air** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**Realizi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g that his mea** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**deri** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g path was taki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g him out of the garage, he lifted both ha** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d fired a short but steady burst from the stabilizers, the reverse thrust pushi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g him right back toward the la** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**di** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g area. More papers we** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t flyi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his retur** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**trip, prompti** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g a short burst of** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ervous laughter to burble out of him.** _ **

**__ ** **_**"Could be worse! Could be worse! We're fine! Okay." He assured** _ ** **__ ** **_**himself** _ ** **_**as he arrived i** _ ** **_**n the center of the** _ ** **_**la** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**di** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g area** _ ** **_**. He** _ ** **_**hovered for a few seco** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ds before cutti** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g the** _ ** **_**power** _ ** **_**to the thrusters a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d stabilizers.** _ **

**_**A sudde** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**rush of vertigo slammed i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to him as he fell, a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d he let out a short, pa** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**icked** _ ** **_**"No!"** _ ** **_**just before he hit the grou** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d.** _ **

**_**Agai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**st all odds, he ma** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**aged to** _ ** **_**st** _ ** **_**i** _ ** **_**ck the landing** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**As he recovered** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**a dopey, satisfied gri** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**crept o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to his face as realizatio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**of what he’d just achieved slammed i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to him.** _ ** **_**He** _ ** **_**was just about to fist pump w** _ ** **_**hen** _ ** **_**he** _ ** **_**noticed DUM-E once again aiming the fire** _ ** **__ ** **_**extinguisher at him,** _ ** **_**forci** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g him to** _ ** **_**quickly** _ ** **_**call the bot dow** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**before he got plastered** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**By the time the bot fi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ally agreed to sta** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d dow** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**, the i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**itial rush of euphoria had passed.** _ **

**_**Still did** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**’t stop him from looki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g straight at the camera bot a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**oddi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g.** _ ** **_**"Yeah, I can fly."** _ **

“More like hover dangerously over awesome cars.” Conner scowled.

“Dude are you really going to get hung up over those cars?!” Wally asked, unable to contain his excitement. “I mean, he can **_**fly**_**!”

“So can half the people in this room.” Conner waved dismissively. “Most of them without any sort of aid.”

“We’re just saying that he should have cleared the garage first.” Artemis added. “There’d have been no need to damage those beauties if he had just taken the necessary precautions.”

“Car junkies.” Dick muttered, earning a light giggle from Zatanna.

**_**The sce** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e cha** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ged to show To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y walk o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to the scree** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**as a series of mecha** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ical arms attached overlappi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g metal plates o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to the skeletal frame of the thrusters a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d stabilizers.** _ ** **_**Then, an arm, covere** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **_**in th** _ ** **_**e** _ ** **_**same armor, reached for a familiar-looking mask, bringing it to the wearer's face.** _ **

**_**"JARVIS, are you there?"** _ **

“No way.” Wally whispered, though his words were clearly audible through the hushed silence that had descended on the Cave.

**_**"At your service, sir." The AI responded as a blue light began to glow, Tony's face being** _ ** **__ ** **_**illuminated as the view backed out from a close-up of his eyes.** _ **

**_**"Engage Heads Up Display." Tony instructed.** _ **

**_**"Check."** _ **

**_**"Import all preferences from home interface."** _ **

**_**"Will do, sir." JARVIS confirmed as several holographic circles** _ ** **_**highlighted various items i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the room a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d provided i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**sta** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t details o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**whatever was highlighted.** _ **

**_**Tony observed his surroundings and all the information the holograms** _ ** **_**provided** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **__ ** **_**apparently satisfied with what he had. "All right, what do you say?"** _ **

**_**"I have indeed been uploaded, sir. We're online and ready." JARVIS explained.** _ **

**_**"Can we start the virtual walk-around?" Tony asked.** _ **

**_**"Importing preferences and calibrating virtual environment." The artificial butler acknowledged** _ ** **__ ** **_**as a hologram of the suit panned from the right side of the display to the left.** _ **

**_**"Do a check on control surfaces." Tony told him.** _ **

**_**"As you wish." The bot confirmed. Then, a full pan around and up revealed the suit assembling** _ ** **__ ** **_**itself around Tony and putting all its flaps and moving parts in their proper position, finally** _ ** **__ ** **_**revealing the new and improved** _ ** **_**suit** _ ** **_**in all** _ ** **_**its** _ ** **_**glory.** _ **

“Oh my Go~d!” Wally squealed as he saw the full image of the silvery-gray suit. “That is just… that just- I mean-” Another long, loud squeal followed the redhead’s stuttering and no one present could find it in themselves to complain because the suit was just plain badass.

**_**"Test complete. Preparing to power down and begin diagnostics." The AI informed its creator.** _ **

**_**Tony, however, seemed to have a different plan in mind. "Uh... Yeah. Tell you what. Do a** _ ** **__ ** **_**weather and ATC check. Start listening in on ground control." Tony instructed.** _ **

**_**"Sir, there are still terabytes of calculations needed before an actual flight is..." JARVIS began** _ ** **__ ** **_**worriedly.** _ **

**_**"Jarvis!" Tony interrupted. "Sometimes you got to run before you can** _ ** **__ ** **_**walk."** _ **

“He’s not going to-”

“Of course he is.” Artemis sighed, answering M’gann’s question before the Martian could complete it. “I swear, he’s as much an idiot as he is a genius.”

“Then you’d definitely date him if he were your age.” Zatanna quipped, a smirk on her face. “After all, Mister Fanboy over there is proof that you’re attracted to idiotic geniuses.”

The archer opened her mouth, a caustic response ready to be fired off-

“He’s gonna fly it!”

-only to come to a grinding halt when her boyfriend engulfed her in a hug like she was a giant plushy. “Wally!”

**_**"Ready? In three, two, one." He** _ ** **_**blasted off, teari** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g out of the garage through the ramp like a bat out of hell** _ ** **_**. The billionair** _ ** **_**e** _ ** **_**cheered and cried out in joy as** _ ** **_**arched up i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**the night sky,** _ ** **_**his face awash i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**almost childish expressio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**of delight.** _ ** **__ ** **_**The view showed the back of the suit, a series of flaps in co** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**sta** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t motio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to give him a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**almost perfect degree of co** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**trol over his flight.** _ **

**_**"Handles like a dream." Tony said to himself as he rocketed above the city and all the** _ ** **__ ** **_**lights. The** _ ** **_**holographic HUD locked o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to the o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d adjusted itself, allowi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g him to always orie** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t himself.** _ ** **__ **

**_**As he flew over the city, the HUD** _ ** **_**lo** _ ** **_**c** _ ** **_**ked** _ ** **_**o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a Ferris Wheel i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**distance and** _ ** **_**zoomed** _ ** **_**in on** _ ** **_**it, e** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ha** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ci** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g the image as it did, allowi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **_**Tony to see a** _ ** **_**you** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **_**boy and girl on the ride,** _ ** **__ ** **_**happily eating their ice cream.** _ **

**_**Somehow, the** _ ** **_**boy noticed Tony** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d, drive** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to distractio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**by the sight, he** _ ** **_**lick** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **__ ** **_**his** _ ** **__ ** **_**ice cream** _ ** **_**scoop** _ ** **_**right** _ ** **_**off the cone.** _ **

“Now _that’s_ making an appearance.” Oliver commented to Dinah.

**_**Tony then** _ ** **_**got a lark a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d tur** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**skyward. "All right, let's see what this thing can do. What's** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**SR-71's** _ ** **__ ** **_**record?"** _ **

**_**"The altitude record for fixed wing flight is 85,000 feet, sir." JARVIS informed his creator.** _ **

“He- Wait. We’ve already been through this.” Zatanna sighed. “He’s going o do it.”

“Glad to see that you’re catching on.” Artemis snorted. “For some reason, I just _k_ _n_ _ow_ this is going to bite him in the ass.”

**_**"Records are made to be broken! Come on!" Tony declared as he rocketed** _ ** **_**higher i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **__ ** **_**atmosphere** _ ** **_**, poweri** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g through the** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ight sky like a reverse meteor.** _ **

**_**Sudde** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ly, the sectio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**s of the digital readout o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the HUD flashed red, followed a seco** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d later by JARVIS’ urge** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t war** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g.** _ ** **_**"Sir, there is a potentially fatal buildup of ice occurring."** _ **

**_**"Keep going!** _ ** **_**” To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y dema** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ded, ig** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ori** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g the war** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g.** _ ** **__ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**Higher!"** _ **

“What is he thinking?!” M’gann shouted as they watched the suit begin to ice over, “He’s going to- Oh my God!”

**_**The reaso** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**for the Martia** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**girl’s exclamatio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**was obvious: the buildup of ice had affected the wiri** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g of the thrusters, leadi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g to first the left, the** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the right thrusters shorti** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g out which i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tur** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**led to a cascadi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g failure of the e** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tire suit.** _ **

**_**For a mome** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t,** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**hu** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the air, simply drifti** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the atmosphere as the force of his i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ertia equaled that of gravity. It was almost peaceful, i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**fact.** _ **

**_**The** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**gravity reasserted itself with a ve** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**gea** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ce, ya** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g him back toward the Earth as o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e would a drifti** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g balloo** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**For the first few seco** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ds, the o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ly thi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g he could do was scream as he tumbled helplessly i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**what had** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ow become his death trap. He realized that, should he la** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d after this ki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d of a fall, the impact would reverberate through the suit a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d shatter every bo** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his body a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d probably tur** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his orga** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**s to so much slurry.** _ **

**_**Others would have give** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**up right the** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**; i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**fact, the old To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y probably would have.** _ **

**_**Not this guy though.** _ **

**_**He had survived the terrorists i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**that valley, Yi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**se** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**teachi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g him a valuable lesso** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**through it:** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ever let your fear override your ability to thi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**k.** _ **

**_**"We iced up, Jarvis! Deploy flaps!" Tony ordered,** _ ** **_**goi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g for the fastest available optio** _ ** **_**n. "Jarvis?!"** _ ** **_**If he could have k** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ocked himself, he’d have hit as hard as he could, possible co** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**cussio** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**be dam** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ed.** _ **

**_**The power to the suit was out which mea** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t that his AI -which was tied to the power supply- was out. Calli** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g for the AI was a fear-i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**duced respo** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**se a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d he should have k** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ow** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**better.** _ **

**_**The lights of the city** _ ** **_**were visible through the** _ ** **__ ** **_**eye-holes of the faceplate as** _ ** **_**careen** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**towards the groun** _ ** **_**d a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **__ ** **_**he felt** _ ** **_**the ice** _ ** **_**begi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to chip** _ ** **_**and** _ ** **_**break off due to** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **__ ** **_**wind pressure of the descent** _ ** **_**. It** _ ** **__ ** **_**was** _ ** **_**not nearly fast enough for** _ ** **_**him** _ ** **_**to be able to recover and stop** _ ** **__ ** **_**his fall** _ ** **_**but it gave him a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**idea** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Struggling against the ice, he slowly moved his arm towards his upper thigh, where a small** _ ** **__ ** **_**circular switch was located. He turned the switch, which manually activated the flaps and broke** _ ** **__ ** **_**off a massive piece of ice on his back.** _ **

**_**This was apparently enough to bring the power back on,** _ ** **__ ** **_**the lights flashing back on in the eyes of the suit and the repulsors coming back online, allowing** _ **

**_**Tony to** _ ** **_**co** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**trol his flight a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **_**rocket up just before smashing into the streets, narrowly avoiding a collision with a car** _ ** **_**.** _ **

The roar of triumph that exploded through the Cave was almost a physical force, shattering the bated silence that had blanketed the room and drowning out all sound from the sound system. Even Bruce was unable to hold back a little smirk of triumph as the various couples in the room shared a hugs and kisses.

**_**Fi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**all** _ ** **_**y** _ ** **_**, To** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y tur** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ed away from the city a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d headed home, flyi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**calmer and more controlled** _ ** **_**ma** _ ** **_**nn** _ ** **_**er.** _ **

**_**Upo** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**arrivi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g, he** _ ** **_**hover** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**in the air a few feet above the** _ ** **_**ope** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**balco** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y before calli** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g to JARVIS:** _ ** **_**"Kill power."** _ **

**_**The** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ext thi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g he k** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ew, he was falli** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g through the floor,** _ ** **__ ** **_**the balco** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y bei** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g u** _ ** **_**nable to take the weight of the suit** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**N** _ ** **_**ext, he crashed through the** _ ** **_**piano** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**the floor beneath it** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d the** _ ** **_**n plummeting into the** _ ** **__ ** **_**garage and** _ ** **_**-** _ **

“Oh God not the cars!”

**_**-smash** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**a beautiful blue Mercedes** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**causing** _ ** **_**a cacopho** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y** _ ** **__ ** **_**of** _ ** **_**alarms to go off on the rest of the cars.** _ **

“Oh come on!” Conner shouted angrily. “That was unnecessary!”

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **__ ** **_**still** _ ** **_**groan** _ ** **_**i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **_**in pain** _ ** **_**, could o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ly throw his head back i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**exasperatio** _ ** **_**n as DUM-E, who had been left in the garage, still equipped with the** _ ** **__ ** **_**fire extinguisher, turned towards the carnage and blasted** _ ** **_**him.** _ **

“Hah!” Hal laughed. “Looks like the bot got the last laugh there!”

“Seriously, though; that was awesome!” Wally cheered excitedly. “I mean- damn!”

“I am getting a suit like that.” Conner stated, anger at the destroyed car forgotten as a determined gleam entered his eyes. “I am **_**defi**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **itely**_** getting a suit like that.”

“Don’t worry, bro.” Dick reached over and patted the Kryptonian’s shoulder, an enigmatic smile on his face. “I’m sure we can work something out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Katana of the Blade and Mr War.
> 
> The Ethereal Lord.
> 
> Patreon.com/theethereallord   
> Your support is greatly appreciated!


	6. Forging a New Identity

“You know,” Hal started as he popped the bag of chips he’d just snagged from the table. “As much as I loved the whole ‘first flight’ thing -and being quite the daredevil flyer myself-”

“And the award for Mr. Modesty goes to…” John snorted at his partner as he swiped a handful from the bag.

“I never claimed to _not_ be a braggart sweetheart.” Hal fired back before continuing, “Anyway, hypocritical as it might sound coming from me, I’ve gotta say this: Tony _really_ doesn’t know how to take his foot off the pedal does he? I mean, I get that he had to test the suit and honor the old man and make a lifestyle change… I get all that but he doesn’t take precautions before jumping right in!”

“I am _so_ glad you pointed out how hypocritical you’d sound before saying that.” John said, shaking his head at his partner. “Even so… you’re not wrong.”

“The buildup of ice, the near crash, all of it could have been avoided if he hadn’t gone off quoting Johnny Blaze and diving into the situation without a moment of thought.” Oliver added between bites of the granola bar in his hand.

“It just goes to show that there’s always a smarter, less ‘run fast, smash hard’ way to go about things.” Dinah summarized before grabbing the remote.

In the instant between her grabbing said device and actually playing the movie, Wally and Conner exchanged a loaded glance before returning their attentions to the screen, identical smirks on their faces.

Their opinion?

‘ _Nah!_ ’

**_**The movie continued with** _ ** **_**Tony approach** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**his desk** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**holding** _ ** **_**pressi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **__ ** **_**an** _ ** **_**ice pack on** _ ** **_**a sore spot on** _ ** **_**his head** _ ** **_**as he approached his secondary worktable. As he walked by, he grabbed his** _ ** **_**mug** _ ** **_**and lifted it to his mouth** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Does he realize that that coffee mug’s been there for days right?” Zatanna asked, looking a bit green. “I mean, unless he finished the suit the exact same night Obie showed up -and early enough for the carnival rides to still be on- then that coffee mug’s been there for at _least_ twenty-four hours.”

“Guess you finally stumbled on to the real reason most genius inventors look like crap warmed over.” Wally smirked as he gently rubbed on his gagging girlfriend’s back. “They’re so into their work that everything else fades away, even their own health.”

“Explains why you’re a twig.” Conner fired back prompting exaggerated gasps from Hal, Dick and Oliver (who clutched his hand over his heart and swooned drunkenly).

**_**Luckily, before the billionaire could actually drink the days-old sludge, his mind picked up on a tiny oddity.** _ **

**_**His mug had been resting, not on the cool metal workstation he was used to, but on a** _ ** **_**package** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ **

**_**‘Well, that’s odd’ He thought as he walked back to the table to inspect the item, reading the** _ ** **_**little note** _ ** **_**sitting atop the brown-bagged box.** _ ** **__ **

**_**"** _ ** **_**F** _ ** **_**rom Pepper** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**"** _ **

**_**‘I wonder what kind of gag gift she got for me this time?’ He mused as he tore off the tape and pushed the wrapping aside.** _ **

**_**The contents left him stunned.** _ **

**_**Inside the innocuous looking wrapping** _ ** **__ ** **_**was** _ ** **_**a glass casing** _ ** **_**containing** _ ** **_**his first arc reactor** _ ** **_**. Etched around the outer ring were the** _ ** **_**words** _ ** **_**:** _ ** **_**Proof** _ ** **_**that** _ ** **_**Tony Stark has a heart.** _ **

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**couldn’t help but** _ ** **_**smile** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“I must say, I am very impressed by the portrayal of Miss Potts.” Diana said, with an satisfied smile. “While she isn’t the main protagonist and serves primarily as Stark’s assistant, she is repeatedly displays a strength to her character that is far greater than her ‘assistant’ role would initially suggest without losing her nurturing side.”

“Diana’s right.” Clark nodded. “This little touch here shows that Miss Potts understands Tony on a level that few -if any- could ever hope to.”

“Makes me wonder if your paranoid ass has anyone like that.” Hal stated, directing the almost mocking question at the Dark Knight.

Bruce just shrugged. He had Alfred, of course, but he suspected that Hal wasn’t just talking about a confidante: Potts was clearly a romantic interest of Stark’s and they shared a bond of trust few could ever really match. He had a feeling that, had he mentioned Alfred, the immature Lantern would twist it until it had sexual connotations and the simple truth was that he wanted that relationship to remain as pure as snow till the end of time. As such, he simply remained silent, leaving _them_ to come to their own conclusions.

**_**The location where Tony was held hostage was then shown as the men were trying to piece** _ ** **__ ** **_**together the Mark I suit with little knowledge about how it works. Raza** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**cigarette in hand** _ ** **_**, had his** _ ** **_**narrowed** _ ** **_**eyes trained** _ ** **_**on the old mask** _ ** **_**, dark intentions all but radiating off him** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Okay, directors, I think we get it now.” Artemis commented with a bored eyeroll. “I mean, at this point, showing Broody the Second as he broods darkly while staring at the _Monstrosity_ is in no way whatsoever subtle. They might as well have started the movie off with a scene showing _Mark II_ Tony fending off that idiot in the _Mo_ nstrosity _._ ”

“Five bucks says they pull a fast one on you.” Zatanna said, a challenging smirk on her face.

“Daddy just gave you pocket money didn’t he?” Artemis replied, her smirk every bit as confident as the apprentice _Homo Magi._ “Ah well, your loss.”

“We’ll see.”

**_**The view changed from one mask to another as a screen with the mask on Tony's new suit on it** _ ** **__ ** **_**as Tony continued to work and improve.** _ **

**_**"Notes. Main transducer feels sluggish at plus 40 altitude. Hull pressurization is problematic." He** _ ** **__ ** **_**explained the failures of the last suit, grunting in pain as he spoke. "I'm thinking icing is the** _ ** **__ ** **_**probable factor." He concluded.** _ **

**_**"A very astute observation, sir. Perhaps, if you intend to visit other planets, we should improve** _ ** **__ ** **_**the exo-systems." JARVIS suggested.** _ **

“I love that AI.” Oliver laughed upon hearing the software’s dry, British wit. “It’s got such a classy wit!”

“Uh… my suit’s not going to have that will it?” Conner asked, directing the question to Dick who was studiously taking notes. “I mean, that just seems distracting and annoying.”

Rather that wait for the Boy Wonder’s response, Wally jumped in: “Nah, you wouldn’t listen to some dry British dude anyway.” When the Kryptonian teen began to relax, though, Wally’s grin grew almost obnoxious. “I was thinking the voice of the only person you ever _do_ listen to would suffice: M’gann.”

“He is pretty whipped isn’t he?” Kaldur added teasingly, causing another round of raucous laughter. “At least this way we can be sure that he won’t be _too_ reckless.”

“... You guys suck.” Conner scowled sulkily, sinking into his girlfriend’s comforting embrace.

**_**"Connect to the sys. co. Have it reconfigure the shell metals** _ ** **_**using** _ ** **_**the gold** _ ** **_**-** _ ** **_**titanium alloy from** _ ** **__ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**S** _ ** **_**eraphim tactical satellite. That should ensure a fuselage integrity while maintaining** _ ** **__ ** **_**power-to-weight ratio. Got it?" Tony instructed** _ ** **_**before throwing down half a glass of a veggie smoothie** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Hmm… that’s actually not a bad idea.” Dick muttered, nose firmly in his notes. “Alloys take on the strengths of their base components so-”

"But in the long term, gold-titanium would be useless against bullets." Wally argued. "It wouldn't hold up against repeated impacts per surface area especially against some of the more powerful weapons Tony could be up against."

"Normally I’d agree with you but he said something about shell metals." Bruce stated, sharing his thoughts on the matter. "We can’t be certain without definitive proof but I believe he built the suit with different kinds of metals in separate layers: aluminum for the skeletal framework we saw him working on-”

“Which would explain how he was able to move around with that much metal strapped onto himself.” Artemis nodded, seeing the sense in his words.

“That could work!” Dick exclaimed, his hands quickly typing out these ideas onto his wrist-computer. “The prototype _Mark II_ could have featured an aluminum framework and a steel outer shell with titanium supports holding the two together so for the redesign-”*

“That’s it, lover boy.” Zatanna said as she used a bit of magic to short out his holo-computer projector. “You’re bothering me with all that geek talk.”

“But-”

“You can geek out over the suit later.” She replied firmly. “Movie now.”

“Zee-”

“Hush you.” She said as she snuggled him deeply into her chest. “We’re watching a movie.”

All around them a single thought ran through everyone’s mind:

‘What an effective method of whipping!’

**_**"Yes. Shall I render using proposed specifications?" JARVIS offered.** _ **

**_**"Thrill me." Tony said.** _ ** **__ **

**_**While the AI got to work, Tony’s attention was drawn to a cute looking blonde who was handling the** _ ** **_**cover** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**g** _ ** **_**e** _ ** **__ ** **_**of** _ ** **_**some event** _ ** **_**that was showing on his monitor** _ ** **_**. "Tonight's red-hot red carpet** _ ** **__ ** **_**is right here at the Disney Concert Hall, where Tony Stark's third annual benefit for the** _ ** **__ ** **_**Firefighter's Family Fund** _ ** **_**-”** _ ** **__ **

**_**That struck him as somewhat odd. After all, for something carrying his name, he certainly didn’t recall getting an invite. Unwilling to make a fuss over it -he knew how absentminded he could get when deep in a project and the Mark II was one hell of a doozy- he turned to his ever handy assistant. Well, the inorganic one:** _ ** **_**"** _ ** **_**Hey** _ ** **_**JARVIS, we get an** _ ** **__ ** **_**invite for that?"** _ **

**_**"I have no record of an invitation, sir."** _ ** **_**The** _ ** **__ ** **_**AI respo** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **_**ed.** _ **

Oliver winced when he heard that. “Yeah… something tells me the Board had a hand in that.”

“Or Stane.” Bruce nodded in agreement. “It depends on where the invite would go.”

“I don’t get it.” M’gann frowned. “Why would either the Board or Obie prevent him from getting an invite?”

“It’s simple.” Clark started, having a bit of knowledge about such things thanks to the nature of his jobs and the many scandals the _Planet_ had covered. “Right now, Tony Stark is, in the eyes of the Board, as close to _persona non grata_ as you can get while still being the CEO. His decision to shut down their core source of income has seriously affected them so they are trying to keep him out of the public eye where they can, hoping to find a way to spin things in their favour.”

“As for Stane, it is likely that he is doing so to protect Stark.” Diana picked up from where the Man of Steel had stopped. “Trust me, I know all about being hidden from the public eye.”

“Er… how again do you know about that?” Dinah couldn’t help but blurt out. Fortunately, everyone wanted to know as well so they were only too happy to listen to the Amazon’s response.

“Well, suffice it to say that I was quite the notorious trouble maker in my younger years, always trying to be a warrior like my mother and the other women.” Diana laughed nostalgically as she remembered simpler times. “I remember once trying to leap across the gap between two buildings and ending up soaked in Granny Calliope’s honey jar. Mother had to keep me hidden away otherwise Granny would never have listened to Mother’s attempts at peace after that.” ** _ *****_**

No one could hold back their laughter at the image the woman had just painted.

“Okay…” Hal wheezed as he held his aching belly. “Okay, I know we’ve never had a ‘childhood comparison day’ but I’m sure this would take the cake if we ever did!”

It took another three minutes for all the laughter to die down and for them to continue the movie.

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**hummed thoughtfully,** _ ** **_**plac** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**Mark II** _ ** **_**mask over his face** _ ** **_**as he** _ ** **_**listen** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**to the report.** _ **

**_**"...Hasn't been seen in public since his bizarre and highly controversial pres** _ ** **_**s** _ ** **_**conference. Some** _ ** **__ ** **_**claim he's suffering from post-traumatic stress and has been bedridden for weeks. Whatever the** _ ** **__ ** **_**case may be, no one expects an appearance from him tonight."** _ **

**_**"The render is complete." JARVIS** _ ** **_**’ statement was accompanied by a soft ping that caught Tony’s attention. O** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**a separate screen to** _ ** **_**his right** _ ** **_**was** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**rotating** _ ** **__ ** **_**display** _ ** **_**of the** _ ** **_**redesigned** _ ** **_**Mark** _ ** **_**I** _ ** **_**I** _ ** **_**, the new render being a solid gold as opposed to the metallic silver of the initial design** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Talk about your bling factor.” John whistled at the _Mark III’s_ appearance.

“You know, this just reminds me to _never_ allow Booster to so much as _glance_ at this movie.” Oliver snorted. “He’d take it as a personal challenge to how flashy he can get!”

**_**"A little ostentatious, don't you think?" Tony asked.** _ **

**_**"What was I thinking? You're usually so discreet." JARVIS said sarcastically.** _ **

“Have I mentioned how much I love that AI?” Oliver said with a grin. “Because I really do love that AI!”

“Idiot.” Artemis and Dinah said in perfect sync.

**_**Tony looked to one of his hot rods as he poured himself another drink. "Tell you what. Throw a** _ ** **__ ** **_**little hot-rod red in there." He instructed.** _ **

“Because _that_ certainly lowers the ‘shiny’ factor.” The younger archer snorted.

**_**"Yes, that should help you keep a low profile." JARVIS said, the sarcasm still strong in his voice.** _ **

“That AI-”

“One more word about that AI, Oliver. I dare you.”

“Shutting up now.”

**_**The new version of the Mark II** _ ** **_**appeared, now rendered** _ ** **_**in** _ ** **_**a slick** _ ** **__ ** **_**looking** _ ** **_**red** _ ** **_**-** _ ** **_**and** _ ** **_**-** _ ** **_**gold** _ ** **_**template** _ ** **_**. "The** _ ** **__ ** **_**render is complete."** _ **

“Hmm… red and gold… headstrong idiot… stupid bravery…” Artemis counted each point off her hands before opening her mouth-

“Huh. So Tony’s a Gryffindor.” Dick blurted as the dots connected in his head -blame Zatanna’s boobs for his brain’s sudden lag- cutting her off without even realizing it.

-and Artemis shut her mouth with an annoyed click.

Conner, Kaldur and Wally all shuddered at the unmentionable horrors the young acrobat had unwittingly signed up for.

**_**"Hey, I like it. Fabricate it. Paint it." Tony instructed.** _ **

“Of course you would.” Zatanna said, displaying a truly impressive amount of self control when she chose _not_ to roll her eyes.

**_**"Commencing automated assembly." JARVIS acknowledged as Tony got up and picked up a** _ ** **__ ** **_**watch to check the time. "Estimated completion time is five hours."** _ **

**_**"Don't wait up for me, honey." Tony said as he left the room.** _ **

“Anybody else get the feeling that Tony isn’t about to tuck himself in with milk and cookies on his side table?” Clark asked.

“Stark is an arrogant playboy who was just told that he wasn’t invited to his own birthday party; where do you _think_ he’s going?” Bruce replied.

“Anybody got the _Party Crashers Anthem_ on their phone?” Wally asked as the movie continued, showing a very familiar looking Audi racing down a highway. “Because that would fit this perfectly.”

**_**The car parked in front of a red** _ ** **__ ** **_**carpet and Tony got out from the driver's seat** _ ** **_**as** _ ** **__ ** **_**a valet** _ ** **_**walked over to** _ ** **_**take the keys, receiving** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**’s** _ ** **_**thank** _ ** **_**s for the service.** _ **

**_**The red carpet was a buzz of activity as was common in all high-end events of this sort, and a host of celebrities and top personalities strode about, encircled by their own clouds of media personnel.** _ **

“God I hate red carpets!” Clark groaned at the sight onscreen. “The noise, the flashing lights, the excessive clamor to get soundbites that don’t even get used!”

“Wow, someone’s got repressed issues.” John said, arching an eyebrow at the Man of Steel’s behaviour. “I thought you were a pen-and paper guy at the _Planet_?”

“Perry makes all newbies go through every section, Radio, TV and Print.” Clark huffed. “And while there you go spend a month in the major-”

“Wait, you guys have a radio station?” Oliver asked at the same time as Hal’s incredulous, “You’ve been on TV _and_ radio?”*

“Isn’t he always on TV, though?” Artemis asked, a sly smirk present as the Green Lantern stuttered, trying to recover from that.

“Relax, Hal, I understand what you mean and yes to both questions.” The Man of Steel replied with a shrug. “I guest-anchored a show with Cat way back then and did a sports segment with-” He paused and shuddered slightly, “ _Steve Lombard_.”

“A segment with both Cat _and_ the Steve-inator?” Dinah looked impressed. “You got around didn’t you?”

“Rather not have gotten around with Lombard.” He shuddered again. “Great OAP, terribly greasy guy in reality.”

“Yeesh, he’s gotta be real bad for you to actually mention it.” Oliver said.

“You don’t know the half of it.” Clark sighed. “Dinah?” ** _ *****_**

**_**The movie rolled on with** _ ** **_**Obie** _ ** **_**now onscreen,** _ ** **__ ** **_**talk** _ ** **_**ing to a reporter** _ ** **_**:** _ ** **_**"Weapons manufacturing is only one small part of** _ ** **__ ** **_**what Stark Industries is all about, and our partnership with the fire and rescue community..."** _ **

“This from the guy who said, and I quote, ‘we’re a weapons manufacturer’ to Tony.” Wally snorted. “Mister Stane isn’t exactly the most honest guy around is he?”

“He’s defending his ward’s actions.” Bruce countered, his tone somewhat reproving. “What would you have him do, say the truth and toss Stark into the jaws of the media madhouse?”

Wally winced slightly at that possibility but while everyone else returned their attention to the movie, Clark, Diana and Dinah all exchanged concerned glances.

It was all too easy for them to pick up on the almost defensive undertone in their friend’s tone and they all hoped Obadiah Stane was worth the trust Bruce had unwittingly put into him.

Because the opposite could easily break the man beneath the cowl.

**_**The movie rolled on with** _ ** **_**Obie** _ ** **_**now onscreen,** _ ** **__ ** **_**talk** _ ** **_**ing to a reporter** _ ** **_**:** _ ** **_**"Weapons manufacturing is only one small part of** _ ** **__ ** **_**what Stark Industries is all about, and our partnership with the fire and rescue community..."** _ **

**_**Obadiah’s little soundbite was broken by what could only be termed a ‘rockstar arrival’: t**_** ** _ **he**_** ** _ **flash**_** ** _ **ing cameras**_** ** _ **all turned toward a single direction**_** **_**as the infatuated screams of a million fan**_** ** _ **girls grabbed**_** ** _ **the older man’s**_** ** _ **attention.**_** ** _ **At the center of the roiling mass was**_** ** _ **Tony**_** ** _ **,**_** ** _ **walking up the carpet**_** ** _ **like a man on a mission**_** ** _ **.**_**

**_**"Hey, Tony, remember me?" A** _ ** **_**pretty** _ ** **_**blonde** _ ** **__ ** **_**in a** _ ** **_**nice** _ ** **_**dress** _ ** **__ ** **_**asked** _ ** **_**flirtatiously** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Sure don't." Tony said without missing a beat, walking right past her without** _ ** **_**sending so much as a glance her way** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Well… damn.” John murmured. “That was _cold_.”

“Fucking sub-zero.” Hal agreed.

“Self-respect, ladies.” Diana sighed. “Learn it now and you’ll avoid such unnecessary indignities.” ** _ *****_**

**_**"You look** _ ** **__ ** **_**great, Hef." He** _ ** **_**said,** _ ** **__ ** **_**compliment** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**a red-robed** _ ** **__ ** **_**old** _ ** **_**man** _ ** **_**with two beauties on either arm** _ ** **__ ** **_**without breaki** _ ** **_**ng his** _ ** **_**stride** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**S** _ ** **_**aid man** _ ** **_**turned to see who** _ ** **_**had** _ ** **_**touched him but** _ ** **_**the genius billionaire** _ ** **_**was** _ ** **_**long** _ ** **_**gone.** _ **

“Wait… ‘Hef?’ As in ‘Lord of Playboy mansion’ Hugh frickin’ Hefner?” Hal seemed befuddled. “What is he, a universal constant?”

“So long as perverts remain, there will always be a ‘Hef.’” Dinah shrugged. “So yeah. He’s a universal constant.”

**_**"What's the world** _ ** **__ ** **_**coming to when a guy's got to crash his own party?"** _ ** **__ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**said as he** _ ** **_**reached his mentor,** _ ** **_**seemingly disappointed before breaki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**easy smile** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Look at you.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ ** **_**A clearly surprised Obadiah smiled, his mi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d clearly tryi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g to process the fact that his you** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g ward was out of his home. “** _ ** **_**Hey, what a surprise."** _ **

**_**"I'll see you inside." Tony said** _ ** **_**as he bega** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**walk off** _ ** **_**o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ly to stop whe** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**he felt his me** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tor’s ha** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his shoulder** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Hey." Obadiah said** _ ** **_**as he** _ ** **_**turned to his** _ ** **_**ward** _ ** **_**, their faces close** _ ** **_**and his voice low to avoid being overheard by the multitude of recording equipment they were surrounded by** _ ** **_**. "Listen, take it** _ ** **__ ** **_**slow, all right? I think I got the board right where we want them."** _ **

**_**"You got it. Just cabin fever. I'll just be a minute."** _ **

“Just a minute, he says.” Clark scoffed. “More like an hour.”

“At the _very least_.” Oliver agreed. “He’ll more likely be there till the end of the whole thing.”

“Wouldn’t be the slightest surprised.” Artemis added.

**_**The ballroom was shown with plenty of people in suits chatting or dancing** _ ** **_**while** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**made his way over to** _ ** **_**a bar. "Give me a Scotch. I'm starving.** _ **

**_**"Mr. Stark?" Agent Coulson asked, also happening to be at the bar.** _ **

“Hey look!” Dick smirked. “It’s Mister ‘Totally _Not_ Inconspicuous!’”

“Who works for the organization with the needlessly long name that totally doesn’t work for the government.” Artemis added, sounding every bit as sarcastic as Dick.

**_**"Yeah?" Tony acknowledged.** _ **

**_**"Agent Coulson."** _ **

**_**"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. The guy from the..." Tony began.** _ **

**_**"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division." Coulson stated.** _ **

“You’d think someone in their ‘Logistics’ department would have noticed how unwieldy that bloody name is.” John noted with a dry chuckle.

**_**"God, you need a new name for that." Tony said, slightly overwhelmed.** _ **

**_**"Yeah, I hear that a lot. Listen, I know this must be a trying time for you, but we need to debrief** _ ** **__ ** **_**you** _ ** **_**-** _ ** **_**"** _ ** **_**The rest of** _ ** **_**Coulson** _ ** **_**’s** _ ** **_**explan** _ ** **_**ation was lost to** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**, however, when he noticed the vision** _ ** **_**in** _ ** **_**the most stunning** _ ** **_**blue dress** _ ** **_**standing in the middle of the room** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**‘Pepper.’** _ **

“Well… damn.” Oliver muttered softly. He loved Dinah, no doubt, but not even she could deny that the butler-slash-assisstant-slash-whatever-Tony-needed-at-the-time cleaved up _very_ nicely.

**_**"There's still a lot of unanswered questions, and time can be a factor with these things. Let's just** _ ** **__ ** **_**put something on the books. How about the 24th at 7:00 p.m. at Stark Industries?" Coulson** _ ** **__ ** **_**offered.** _ **

**_**Tony stuck his hand out for Coulson to shake, but was still looking at Pepper. "Tell you what.** _ ** **__ ** **_**You got it. You're absolutely right." He said as Coulson shook his hand. "Well, I'm going to go to** _ ** **__ ** **_**my assistant, and we'll make a date." He explained, leaving the agent and going after his** _ ** **__ ** **_**assistant.** _ **

“He didn’t hear a word, did he?” Zatanna sighed.

“Considering how even GL’s looking stunned?” Artemis asked. “I sincerely doubt that he heard a word.”

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**, moving swiftly across the room,** _ ** **_**approached** _ ** **_**the radiant** _ ** **_**Pepper. "You look fantastic** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**I** _ ** **__ ** **_**didn't recognize you."** _ **

**_**Pepper turned to him, a bit shocked. "What are you doing here?"** _ **

**_**"Just avoiding government agents." He** _ ** **_**replie** _ ** **_**d** _ ** **_**with just a hint of a smirk** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Are you** _ ** **_**…** _ ** **__ ** **_**Are you** _ ** **_**by yourself?"** _ **

**_**"Yes.** _ ** **_**” Knowing his own reputation, he knew that he really couldn’t take offense to that.** _ ** **__ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**Where'd you get that dress?"** _ ** **_**He asked, not quite hiding the interest in his eyes as he** _ ** **__ ** **_**checked her out** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Oh, it was a birthday present.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **_**Pepper explained** _ ** **_**before breaking into a small** _ ** **_**grin.** _ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**From you, actually."** _ **

“Ah, _that’s_ what she got for herself.” Clark nodded appreciatively. “She’s got a pretty good eye.”

Diana glanced at him, a questioning look on her face. “I’m not certain Lois would approve of your words.”

“Diana, it’s a movie.” He replied with a shrug. “Besides, you should see her drool every time some ripped sports star shows up half-dressed.”

“Wait, so she’s got the god of hard bods wrapped around her pinkie-”

“I’m not that-”

“Hush Clark, you’re more whipped than young Wally is.” Diana replied, the casual delivery making the jab sound all the worse.

Hal continued, ignoring the amusing byplay. “Anyhow, she’s got the Ab King to herself and she still drools about guys like Ollie?” He slanted an amused glance at the Man of Steel. “Are you sure that suit isn’t padded?”

“God, can we _please_ continue with the movie?” Clark asked, almost whining. “The kids have a curfew!”

Much as she wanted to join Hal in needling the Man of Steel, Dinah agreed that most members of the Team _did_ have a curfew and so she hit the play button.

**_**"Well, I got great taste." Tony said in a cocky tone.** _ **

“You know, for some reason I can’t argue against that.” Zatanna sighed. “Even if he _did_ _n_ _’t_ get her this dress.”

**_**"Yes." She agreed with a smile.** _ **

**_**"You want to dance?" Tony offered.** _ **

**_**"Oh, no." Pepper declined.** _ **

**_**"All right, come on." Tony insisted**_** ** _ **,**_** ** _ **t**_** ** _ **a**_** ** _ **k**_** ** _ **ing**_** ** _ **her by the hand and lead**_** ** _ **ing**_** ** _ **her to**_** ** _ **join the rest of the dancers**_** ** _ **in the room.**_** ** _ **As they started da**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **ci**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **g, though,**_** **_**Pepper**_** ** _ **constantly stared**_** ** _ **around the room, biting her lip**_** ** _ **a**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **d ge**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **erally looki**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **g a**_** ** _ **n**_** ** _ **xious**_** ** _ **.**_**

**_**"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Tony asked.** _ **

**_**"No. N** _ ** **_**o,** _ ** **_**I always forget to wear deodorant and dance with my boss in front of everyone that I** _ ** **__ ** **_**work with in a dress with no back." Pepper explained, trying to emphasize the point about** _ ** **__ ** **_**dancing with her boss.** _ **

“Huh. So _that’s_ why Felicity seemed so tense when I took her for the Little Lights Fundraiser ** _ *****_** two years ago.” Oliver said, his eyes growing wide with shock.

John couldn’t hold back the stupefied look on his face. “Why exactly did you _think_ she was tense?!”

“I thought she was just upset that I asked her on short notice!”

“God, you might actually be _worse_ than Hal!” The dark skinned Lantern shook his head before stabbing a finger at his partner. “And _no,_ Hal, you don’t get to talk; you’re shit at reading people.”

“… I hate you.”

**_**"You look great and you smell great." Tony assured her,** _ ** **_**actively choosing to misread her words** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Oh, God." Pepper groaned, shutting her eyes.** _ **

**_**"But I could fire you if that would take the edge off." Tony offered with raised eyebrows.** _ **

****That** ** **_**brought her up short and she directed a disbelieving stare at him.** _ ** **_**"I actually don't think that you could tie your shoes without me."** _ **

“Nah, he’s not completely useless.” Wally waved dismissively. “Reckless, but not useless.”

“I am afraid I doubt that, Wally.” Kaldur replied with a smile. “Unfortunately, Mister Stark seems like the type to forget everything except his work.”

Wally’s skeptic look was a language all its own. “Really?”

**_**"I'd make it a week. Sure." Tony dismissed her theory.** _ **

**_**"Really? What's your Social Security number?" Pepper** _ ** **_**ask** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **__ ** **_**a victorious smirk already on his face** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Tony stopped to think about it. "Five."** _ **

“I do not even have this ‘Social Security’ number yet I know that reply is wrong.” Kaldur chuckled. “Like I said, to him, everything but his work is lost in the fog of normalcy.”

**_**"Five? You're missing just a couple of digits there." Pepper laughed.** _ **

**_**"The other eight?" Tony asked, to which Pepper chuckled. "So? I got you for the other eight."** _ **

**_**As they danced on though, the little levity he had helped her gain slowly drained out of her and her** _ ** **_**smile faded** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ **

**_**Upon noticing this,** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**spoke up again to** _ ** **_**try and calm her. "How about a little air?"** _ **

**_**"Yes, I need some air." She confirmed, the two of them heading outside as Coulson watched** _ ** **__ ** **_**them walk out from the bar.** _ **

“Talk about your stalker tendencies.” Dick muttered. “If I didn’t know that he _wasn’t_ the bad guy, I’d be pointing fingers.”

“Dude, Totally _Not_ Conspicuous Agent #0? As a bad guy? Nah.” Wally waved the idea away dismissively. “The guy’s just too… _smiley_ to be a bad guy.”

“Dude you really wanna talk about people’s ‘smiley-ness’ being a factor in their innocence with the Joker running around?”

“… point conceded.”

**_**Tony and Pepper** _ ** **_**moved to** _ ** **_**the balcony** _ ** **_**that jutted out from the side of the building, allowing them** _ ** **__ ** **_**to gaze upon the ever busy streets below.** _ **

**_**"** _ ** **_**Well, t** _ ** **_**hat was totally weird."** _ ** **_**Pepper said, breaking the silence that had built up during their walk.** _ **

**_**"Totally harmless." Tony** _ ** **_**smiled** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"It was totally not harmless, by the way." Pepper countered** _ ** **_**, a serious look on her face** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"We** _ ** **_**we** _ ** **_**re dancing.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**said,** _ ** **_**again tr** _ ** **_**ying** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**ease** _ ** **_**her** _ ** **_**anxiety** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**“** _ ** **_**No one's even watching."** _ **

“You’re the biggest name at the event that _literally bears your name!_ ” Artemis hissed at the screen, much to everyone else’s amusement. “ _Everyone’s_ watching!”

**_**"No, you know why?" She demanded.** _ **

**_**"I think you lost objectivity. I think they just... People... We just danced."** _ **

**_**"No, it was not just a dance. You don't understand because you're you!" Pepper snapped,** _ ** **__ ** **_**frustrat** _ ** **_**ion bubbling up in her tone yet not quite concealing the hint of longing that she felt as well** _ ** **_**. "And everybody knows exactly who you are and how** _ ** **__ ** **_**you are with girls and all of that, which is completely fine. But, you know, then me, you're my** _ ** **__ ** **_**boss, and I'm dancing with you-"** _ **

**_**"I don't think it was taken that way." Tony** _ ** **_**said softly, once again trying to convince her that things weren’t as bad as she was making it seem** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Because it makes me look like the one who's trying to..."** _ ** **_**She broke off at that point, eyes growing misty as she tried to reel her errant emotions in.** _ **

John shook his head at the scene playing out before him, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “She’s not bothered by the dancing but nearly has a heart attack over the ‘people will see’ thing? Yeah, she’s definitely got a thing for him.”

“Well I can understand why she’d be so bothered about the audience factor here.” Dinah said, an understanding look visible on her face. “He’s the billionaire playboy, the ‘most eligible bachelor’ type while she’s his loyal assistant; there’s gotta be more than one person in the company that’s wondering how she got there.”

“Yeah, and I’m sure more than half of those are of the female persuasion and wouldn’t mind being with Tony in a more… _traditional_ sense.” Hal snorted. It wasn’t like he didn’t understand Dinah’s point because he did; he was just tired of the petty deceits and bullshit of office politics.

Or any kind of politics, to be honest.

“The point is her reluctance to being seen with him is completely understandable considering the brutality of office space gossip.” Dinah continued. “Not to mention the tabloid effect.”

“Yeah… I can only imagine what they’ll splash on the morning pages if anyone got a picture of them together.” Clark agreed.

**_**"I just think you're overstating it."** _ **

**_**For the second time in as many minutes, his efforts were ignored:**_** **_**"You know, and we're here, and then I'm wearing this ridiculous dress, and then we were**_** ** _ **dancing like that and..."**_** ** _ **Her rambling rant finally trailed off when she noticed how close they were to each other, the sheer undeniable attraction between them pulling them closer and closer until…**_**

**_**"I would like a drink, please."** _ ** **_**Her voice was shaky, torn between raging desire and harsh pragmatism.** _ **

**_**"Got it, okay."** _ ** **_**Seeing the conflict in her eyes,** _ ** **_**Tony complied walk** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**back in** _ ** **_**while** _ ** **_**Pepper let out a heavy breath.** _ **

**_**"I would like a vodka martini, please. Very dry with olives, a lot of olives. Like, at least three** _ ** **__ ** **_**olives." She explained.** _ **

“You know, as much as we have established that Stark does not seem like the type to force himself on a woman, I must admit that I am relieved to see him back off like this, even in the face of a mutual attraction.” Diana commented as the billionaire walked up to the bar and placed his order. “Too often these movies portray a scenario where the woman is too feeble-minded to decide on her own and the man needs to give her a ‘push.’ Seeing this is… satisfying.”

“Diana’s right.” Clark nodded. “Pa always told me that a no should always be taken as a no.”

“Okay… Look, I hate to pop that bubble but…you realize that some girls pull the ‘I’m too unsure of what I want’ thing on purpose, right?” Artemis asked with an arched eyebrow. “I mean, I know a girl from school whose entire gimmick is just that.” ** _ *****_**

Sensing the potential storm that could be triggered with such a topic,Dinah immediately waded into the conversation: “Much as we’d like to debate that-” ‘Or _not_.’ She added to herself, “Clark’s point about time still stands and a few of us are already pushing our curfew limits so…movie.” She silenced any potential arguments by playing the movie.

**_**T** _ ** **_**ony returned to the bar and dropped a** _ ** **_**pretty hefty** _ ** **_**tip in a glass. "Two vodka martinis, extra dry, extra** _ ** **__ ** **_**olives, extra fast. Make one of them dirty, will you?"** _ ** **_**T** _ ** **_**he bartender nodding** _ ** **_**upon receiving the billionaire’s order** _ ** **_**and** _ ** **_**got to work** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**As Tony tried to reel his own passion back in,** _ ** **_**familiar** _ ** **_**voice called out:** _ ** **_**"Wow. Tony Stark.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Fancy seeing you here."** _ **

**_**"Oh, hey** _ ** **_**…”** _ ** **__ ** **_**He directed a faint smile at the somewhat familiar blonde, his passion-addled mind struggling to connect a name to the face.** _ ** **_**"** _ ** **_**…** _ ** **_**Carrie** _ ** **_**?** _ ** **_**"** _ **

Hal, Oliver and Bruce winced simultaneously as every woman present save M’gann shot withering glares at the genius playboy.

If there was _one_ rule any guy needed to learn it was this: **_**never**_** , under any circumstance up to and including the safety of your own life, forget the name of a woman who shared your bed.

No greater sin could be committed, no social faux pas could be more grievous than that.

**_**"Christine." She corrected him.** _ **

**_**"That's right." Tony agreed.** _ **

**_**"You have a lot of nerve showing up here tonight. Can I at least get a reaction from you?"** _ ** **__ ** **_**Everheart demanded.** _ **

**_**"Panic. I would say panic is my reaction." Tony answered.** _ **

That was the only sensible answer to give, the men silently agreed, especially when the woman seemed upset but hadn’t quite gone off the rails.

**_**"** _ ** **_**Really?** _ ** **_**'Cause I was referring to your company's involvement in this latest atrocity." She** _ ** **_**stated angrily** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Yeah. They just put my name on the invitation. I don't know what to tell you." Tony told her** _ ** **_**flippantly, believing that he was in the clear** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"** _ ** **_**You know,** _ ** **_**I actually almost bought it** _ ** **_**.”** _ ** **_**She s** _ ** **_**cowled, eyes glittering with barely suppressed rage** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**“H** _ ** **_**ook, line and sinker."** _ **

“O~kay.” Hal blinked at the sheer venom in her tone. “I’m beginning to think that _this_ is more than just about a forgotten name.” When all the women present leveled their still incensed glares at him, he swiftly backed the hell up. “Not that he was right to do something so stupid! I mean, how could he have been so callous and uncaring and disrespectful-” A sharp jab in his ribs from John’s elbow had him clamming up instantly.

Rule #2 in the big book of ‘Men Apologizing to Women for Incredible Screw Ups:’ Do NOT ramble. It makes your apology seem shallow.

**_**"I was out of town for a couple months, in case you didn't hear."** _ **

**_**"Is this what you call accountability?"** _ ** **_**Christine** _ ** **_**demanded** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **__ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**grily** _ ** **__ ** **_**pulling out** _ ** **_**some** _ ** **__ ** **_**photos** _ ** **_**and handing them over** _ ** **_**. "It's a town called Gulmira. Heard of it?"** _ ** **_**The last question was delivered with a mocking sneer** _ ** **_**as Tony** _ ** **_**slowly** _ ** **_**went through the** _ ** **_**pictures, his jaw tightening with each** _ ** **_**photo of** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**devastated town** _ ** **_**. Whe** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**those photographs were** _ ** **__ ** **_**followed by shots of terrorists wheeling in and setting up Stark Industries branded armaments, though, his gaze became icy** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Wait are those-”

“Did she just say-”

“How did they-”

Conner, M’gann and Kaldur all froze mid-speech upon realizing that they had been speaking at the same time. A second later, the boys nodded to their green-skinned teammate.

“She said Gulmira, right?” M’gann asked, her voice shaky. When Dick confirmed that, her eyes grew wide in horror. “That’s where Yinsen’s from!”

“Son of a…” Realization dawned on them all as Oliver scowled darkly. “They’re mocking him.”

It took little more than a second for Dinah and Bruce to understand what the Emerald Archer meant, with the other members of the League quickly catching on. Their young proteges, however, were utterly confused.

“What do you mean, ‘they’re mocking him out’?” Wally asked. “Who’s mocking who?”

“It’s simple, Wally,” Bruce exhaled through clenched teeth, eyes still locked onto the pictures frozen on screen. “The terrorists know that Stark grew close to Yinsen. Now that he’s escaped, they are attacking Yinsen’s village to send a message.”

“And the message is all the more mocking because they are using the same Jericho missiles they wanted him to build for them.” Kaldur noted. “Which brings up the question; how did they acquire the missiles?”

“That’s…” Artemis frowned when she realized that there was no logical way to explain the terrorists’ acquisition of the weapons. “Wait, if the _Jericho_ was just exhibited to the military on the day Tony was abducted then, for all intents and purposes, they’ve barely rolled off the assembly line. So how the hell did _terrorists_ get their hands on them?”

“Had to be an inside job.” John replied immediately. He knew damned well that one could never really stop criminals from obtaining weapons if they wanted to. “Every time high-end weapons shipments like these get into the hands of criminals, investigations have always revealed the presence of insider influence: turncoat diplomats, intelligence agency moles etcetera.”

“You think the terrorists had some help from some internal source.” Dick frowned.

“It’s extremely likely.” Diana agreed. “In fact, considering how precise the terrorists’ ambush was, it stands to reason that they knew of the route Stark’s military escort would take through the province and while possible that this _Ten Rings_ organization that the bald terrorist spoke of could have sources within the military, I think an insider at Stark Industries would be more likely.”

Without realizing it, everyone present grew tense.

The evidence against Obadiah Stane was stacking up.

**_**"When were these taken?" Tony asked.** _ **

**_**"Yesterday." She confirmed.** _ **

**_**"I didn't approve any shipment." He** _ ** **_**frow** _ ** **_**ned** _ ** **_**, speaki** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g more to himself tha** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his curre** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**t compa** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**io** _ ** **_**n.** _ **

**_**She certai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ly did** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**’t seem to care about that little detail as she respo** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ded:** _ ** **_**"Well, your company did."** _ **

**_**Somethi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g about that respo** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**se -the way she said it, perhaps, or the mea** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g it held- fed the embers that Yi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**se** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**had sparked up i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his soul.** _ **

**_**She was right: his compa** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y had do** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e that, as well as the cou** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**tless other atrocities that had bee** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**committed u** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**der the ‘Stark I** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**dustries’ ba** _ ** **_**nn** _ ** **_**er. Those acts had tai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ted his** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ame,** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ever mi** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d that he had remai** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ed blissfully oblivious -‘** _ ** **_ **Stupidly** _ ** **_**oblivious’, he ame** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ded i** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**his head- a** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**d had ofte** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**eve** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**take** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**the sta** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ce of the woefully misu** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**derstood ge** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**ius.** _ **

**_**She was right: his compa** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**y** _ ** **_ **had** _ ** **_**do** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e that.** _ **

**_**But she had missed o** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**e glari** _ ** **_**n** _ ** **_**g detail.** _ **

**_**"Well, I'm not my company."** _ **

“He’s growing up.” Oliver stated, giving the onscreen character a nod of respect that few present would understand. The truth was, while Stark clearly paralleled Bruce’s life in a large number of ways, there were two distinct differences between the two. Interestingly, those differences aligned mirrored elements from the Emerald Archer’s life.

First: they were both reckless, selfish playboys whose carefree lifestyles had nearly cost them something important.

For Oliver, it was his father’s company, Queen Consolidated: pre-island Oliver had never cared about the day-to-day running of what would become his inheritance; rather, he was more focused on what he could get out of the company to satisfy his lusts. That negligence had come back to bite him brutally, nearly resulting in him losing his father’s legacy due to a vicious power play by a coalition of board members.*

For Tony, it was his name: having been blinded by the fame and fortune that he had accrued through his efforts, he hadn’t seen the atrocities that were committed in his name until the blinkers had been forcibly torn from his eyes.

The second similarity, however, was far simpler: neither Oliver nor Tony were the kind to simply roll over. The same bullheaded stubbornness that had them pulling off stupid dares in their youth had transformed into a dogged tenacity that saw Oliver fight off the dogs that sought to take Queen Consolidated from him and would now spur Tony into action.

Oliver was only too eager to see what this reflection of himself would do in such a situation.

If they were anything alike, though, then it would be _fun_.

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**’s determined march away from the bar brought him to the only one who could confirm or deny Catherine’s words: his mentor.** _ ** **__ **

**_**The older man was clearly on his way out, having stopped only to provide another PR-approved soundbite to yet another nosy reporter, yet the instant he saw his ward -and the dark look on his face- he gently directed the reporter to some other glitzy celebrity in time to bear the brunt of Tony’s cold rage.** _ **

**_**“** _ ** **_**What's going on in Gulmira?" Tony demanded.** _ ** **__ ** **_**"Have you seen these pictures?** _ ** **_**”** _ **

**_**As soon as he saw the pictures, Obadiah knew the gig was up.** _ ** **_**"Tony, Tony.** _ ** **_**” His tone was low, a pleasant smile present even as he almost prayed that the younger man would not** _ ** **__ ** **_**make a scene. “** _ ** **_**You can't afford to be this naive."** _ **

**_**That incensed the hell out of Tony who was now fighting the desire to straight up scream at his mentor.** _ ** **_**"You know what? I was naive before, when they said, 'Here's the line. We don't cross it. This is** _ ** **__ ** **_**how we do business.' If we're double-dealing under the table** _ ** **_**…” He stopped and directed a piercing stare at the older man. “** _ ** **_**Are we?"** _ **

**_**"Tony, your picture, please!"** _ ** **_**A** _ ** **_**reporter c** _ ** **_**all** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**and Obadiah, seeing the chance to at least temporarily shove this matter into the closet, grasped it with both hands** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Let's take a picture. Come on. Picture time!"** _ ** **_**H** _ ** **_**e declared** _ ** **_**loudly, decisively such that, should his ward decline** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**it would affect they young man’s image much more than his. He knew it and clearly Tony realized it as well if the way he stood in a stiff pose for the cameras meant anything.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Wrapping** _ ** **__ ** **_**an arm around his charge’s shoulder to offset most of the near palpable tension between them, the older man leaned closer to his ward and murmured,** _ ** **_**"Who do you think locked you out? I was the one who filed the injunction** _ ** **__ ** **_**against you.** _ ** **_**”** _ ** **__ ** **_**Feeling the younger man grow tense, Obadiah sighed and shifted away, getting ready to leave. “** _ ** **_**It was the only way I could protect you." H** _ ** **_**e explain** _ ** **_**ed as he patted** _ ** **__ ** **_**Tony on the shoulder, before walking away.** _ **

**_**Still standing on the red carpet,** _ ** **_**Tony watched hi** _ ** **_**s** _ ** **__ ** **_**mentor leave with a heavy heart** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Anybody else thinking Stane’s pulling these excuses a little too smoothly?” Artemis asked, her brows furrowed in the beginnings of what would go on to be a deep frown. “I mean, that last scene felt a bit… I dunno, _thrown together_? Plus, that last bit, the ‘I did it to protect you…’ sounded a bit like a spot of emotional mani-”

“Plausible deniability.”

“Wha-” Wally cut his half-thought sentence off before it could spill out of his mouth, his brain still trying to comprehend what he had just heard.

Well, what everyone had heard really.

“Bruce… you’re _defe_ _nding_ him?” Dick almost gaped at the thought even as the Man of Steel cautiously questioned the Dark Knight. “You’re not even considering the possibility that Stane could be less than what he appears to be?”

“I considered it and the chances that Al- _Obadiah-_ ” Once again, Clark and Dinah shared worried glances at the Dark Knight’s slip up, though the man didn’t seem to notice. “-could be a pawn for a larger game seem rather low.” 

“Bruce…” Dick started tentatively as he tried to think of a way to soften the impact of what he wanted to say. “You know that’s _not_ Alfred, right?”

“It’s a movie, Dick; of course I can tell.” Bruce replied, sounding almost perplexed by the question. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Nothing.” The Boy Wonder replied through gritted teeth. “It’s nothing.”

It was only Zatanna’s calming presence that helped the young man take his mind off his mentor and even then, as Dinah hit the play button, his eyes kept drifting over to the man, concern visible in them.

**_**The movie continued with Tony back in his garage, a dark scowl on his face as he tinkered with the glove of the redesigned Mark III suit. Playing in the background was a newsreel** _ ** **_**showing footage of a reporter with a** _ ** **__ ** **_**trail of people traversing the desert behind her.** _ **

**_**"The 15-mile hike to the outskirts of Gulmira can only be described as a descent into hell, a** _ ** **__ ** **_**modern day Heart of Darkness. Simple farmers and herders from peaceful villages have been** _ ** **__ ** **_**driven from their homes, displaced from their lands by warlords, emboldened by a new-found** _ ** **__ ** **_**power."** _ **

“It’s always the innocents that suffer when these bastards unleash their savagery.” Diana scowled darkly. “They claim to acquire their armaments to ‘gain strength’ yet do nothing with them than act like spoilt children, lording their toys over the less privileged, uncaring for how their actions hurt others.”

**_**"Villagers have been forced to take shelter in whatever crude dwellings they can find in the ruins** _ ** **__ ** **_**of other villages, or here in the remnants of an old Soviet smelting plant." The reporter continued** _ ** **_**as repeated sounds of gunfire acted as background noise.** _ ** **_**"Recent violence has been** _ ** **__ ** **_**attributed to a group of foreign fighters referred to by locals as the Ten Rings."** _ **

**_**Onscreen, the image of Tony’s torturer appeared, the man looking relaxed as he** _ ** **_**casually** _ ** **_**had a** _ ** **_**smok** _ ** **_**e** _ ** **__ ** **_**amidst** _ ** **_**the carnage.** _ **

“Please tell me Tony get to smash his head in.” Conner growled, Wolf echoing its master’s sentiments.

“I’m usually not up for that kid of violence but this time?” Zatanna practically growled. “I’ll make an exception.”

**_**"As you can see, these men are heavily armed and on a mission. A mission that could prove** _ ** **__ ** **_**fatal to anyone who stands in their way." The reporter** _ ** **_**continue** _ ** **_**d grimly. "With no political will or international pressure,** _ ** **__ ** **_**there's very little hope for these refugees."** _ **

“The same problem everywhere.” Diana scowled, practically radiating rage now. “If the conflict doesn’t _profit_ them in some way or the other, they’d rather stay out of it.”

“That’s humanity in a nutshell.” John sighed wearily. “We’re all lovey dovey when things benefit us in some way. Take away the benefits and there goes the benevolence.”

Wally, sensing the melancholy mood that was setting in over the adults, quickly interjected, “Yeah that often happens, but people who have the level of determination that’s blazing in Tony’s eyes? They fight for the good of _everyone,_ damn the lack of benefits.”

It was a simple, assured statement yet it was enough to remind the Justice League members of a core truth: that, beyond their powers or skills, it was their selflessness that truly made them heroes.

**_**T** _ ** **_**he** _ ** **_**angry determination in his eyes never left even as he stood up and walked over to the mini-kitchen area, tossing the screwdriver he had been using onto the countertop.** _ ** **__ **

**_**"Around me, a woman begging for news on her husband, who was kidnapped by** _ ** **__ ** **_**insurgents, either forced to join their militia..."** _ **

**_**Turning away from the TV, he stared down at another section of his workspace before deliberately lifting his armored hand, the wires connecting it to his arc reactor glowing slightly before a pulse of energy blasted out of the repulsor, tearing through some of the lighting fixtures in the distance.** _ **

**_**Not paying any mind to the powerful recoil that had just thrown** _ ** **__ ** **_**off his balance, the genius stared at the destruction that single blast had caused in a new light.** _ **

“Interesting…” Bruce noted with slightly furrowed brows. “Well done, Stark.”

After waiting a moment for the man to explain himself, Hal decided to speak up: “You gonna share your little discovery with the ‘less genius-y’ of us?”

“Less _genius-y,_ Hal?” The Dark Knight smirked. “That’s a bit… slow, even for you.”

“Just tell us what he did that’s gained your admiration Bruce.” Clark groaned in exasperation.

“It’s the repulsor control system.” Conner stated, his eyes glued to screen in deep thought. “He’s not wearing the helmet and he didn’t say anything to _JARVIS_ so he probably didn’t have his AI assist him on that shot. It’s not obvious at first glance but the fact that what should ideally be for maneuvering just released that much energy means Tony didn’t cap the energy output on the gloves. If that’s the case then that points to the fact that he built in manual controls for the arm repulsors because, if he didn’t build in those controls and he fired off an uncapped burst of energy from it, then -considering that most of the arc reactor’s total power output would have been directed through the repulsor- it should have done a _lot_ more damage than what it did.”

No one said a word for almost a minute until a teasing Wally grinned and said, “So, handsome, super strong, bulletproof and now a master technician. I need to up my game or Arty’s gonna dump me!”

That was enough to break the silence as Artemis smacked her boyfriend on the head while everyone burst into laughter.

“That was spot-on, Conner.” Bruce commended, clearly impressed. “Well done.”

Blushing at the Dark Knight’s words -which were _very_ high praise indeed!- the Kryptonian teen rubbed the back of his head. “Well, I’ve been following everything they’ve shown about making the suit and building an outline for a suit in my head so I just worked that out.” Turning to Dick, he smiled and said, “I was hoping to finish up on a rough sketch tomorrow and comparing notes…?”

“Aw heck yeah!” Dick yelled happily. “We could take the best of either design and work in the good elements from both to use as a base template and work up from there!”

“Hey don’t forget me!” Wally jumped in. “I was working up a list of potential materials we could use for the actual construction as well as possible energy-”

“Guys, the movie?” Kaldur pointed out, a smile directed at their enthusiasm. “It wasn’t paused earlier so we’ve already missed a bit.”

The conversations died down almost instantly as their attention returned to the screen where Tony had just walked away from a series of shattered glass screens.

**_**Onscreen,** _ ** **_**Stark then walked onto** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**grid** _ ** **_**similar to the one on which** _ ** **_**he tested the flight** _ ** **_**capabilities of the** _ ** **_**boots and g** _ ** **_**auntlet** _ ** **_**s.** _ ** **_**Suddenly, sections of the grid** _ ** **_**began to** _ ** **_**separate, detaching and then reattaching to form an elevated platform while other sections** _ ** **_**flipp** _ ** **_**ed over to** _ ** **__ ** **_**reveal the boot segments of the** _ ** **__ ** **_**Mark III** _ ** **__ ** **_**that were clamped onto their undersides** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**The camera angle zoomed out, showing more sections of the elaborate structure as Tony stepped into the boots, left foot first. Immediately, the boots adjusted themselves to fit snugly around his feet, multiple power tools moving in with machine-like efficiency to tighten the screws and fasten hermetic clamps even as the calf segments moved into place around his legs.** _ **

**_**Switching to a different view, the Watchers looked on in stunned silence as Tony lifted his arms and two mechanical supports slid the Mark III armor over his hand while other supports placed the neck, back and chest segments over him while the tools moved about and securing all the necessary joints. Finally, the helmet was fitted onto** _ ** **__ ** **_**his head before the face-plate dropped into place and the eye-slits** _ ** **_**gleam** _ ** **_**ed with** _ ** **_**the arc reactor's** _ ** **_**power** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Well… damn…” Hal breathed, his voice almost inaudible despite the shocked silence that pervaded the room.

“I… wow.” Artemis paused to try to rein in the storm that raged through her mind before speaking again: “I expected him to try figure out a way to remove the ‘suiting up’ problem that basically cost Yinsen his life but that…”

“He got into that suit in under a minute!” Dick almost shouted. “That’s almost _three times faster_ than it takes for me to pull a wardrobe change!”

“To be fair, we didn’t see him get into that slick black body suit he wore before the he donned the armor.” Kaldur pointed out. “He was in a pair of trousers and a sleeveless vest before that so he clearly had to get out of those before getting into the body suit.”

“While that _is_ a good point, Kaldur, the fact remains that Stark has fully automated the armor-donning process and he has it running efficiently enough for the whole thing to take less than a minute.” Bruce rejoined. “That’s pretty impressive regardless of the time it takes him to get into the body suit.”

“I’ve gotta give it to Stark; he’s proven himself.” John stated, looking every bit as impressed as everyone else. “It’s one thing to be referred to as a ‘genius’ all the time… He’s actually proven it.”

“Agreed.” Clark nodded. “The _Monstrosity_ , the _Mark II_ , figuring out a way to counter the effect of ice on the suit… even the _Jericho_ missiles, distasteful as those were, all prove that he’s every bit as intelligent as people claim.”

“It’s even capable of supersonic flight!” Conner exclaimed giddily as, onscreen, Tony blasted past the sound barrier.

“Man, we have our work cut out for us!” Wally exclaimed, a sentiment fully shared by Dick as well.

Oliver, however, was somewhat upset that he had missed that scene and he was childish enough to whine at his partner for her slip up. “Dee! That’s the second time now. I thought you had the controls!”

“Well, I’m _sorry_ for getting caught up in the armor up scene.” Dinah scowled at her partner as she quickly hit the pause button. “Besides, I don’t remember saying that you couldn’t touch the remote now did I?”

“Ignore him, Dinah.” John said with an amused smile. “Trust me on this: when idiot man-kids start whining the worst thing to do would be to give them more attention.”

“Hey!” Oliver, Hal and Clark yelled indignantly.

All eyes turned to the odd one out.

Clark stared back with sheepish eyes. “… er… I felt indignation on behalf of my friends?”

The questioning stares became flat looks of disbelief.

“Okay, fine.” The Man of Steel sighed and, for just a second, M’gann felt the man radiate a strong urge to pout. “Lois can be… _very opinionated_ at times-”

“You mean she’s stubborn.” Dinah snorted in amusement.

“Call it what you like.” He shrugged. “The point is, when she puts her foot down, the only way to get her to change her mind is to _annoy_ her into doing it. So… whining.”

“Hmm… I feel you there, man.” Hal sighed sympathetically. “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do sometimes.”

“… how do we know them?” Diana asked Dinah.

“I have no clue.” The blonde replied as she hit the play button.

**_**The humorous ambience in the Cave changed the instant the new scene came up, revealing a war-torn area with a** _ ** **__ ** **_**crowd** _ ** **_**of** _ ** **_**frightened** _ ** **_**people running away,** _ ** **_**their** _ ** **_**scream** _ ** **_**s muffled beneath the sounds of missiles detonating in the mountainside a short distance away from the** _ ** **_**village.** _ **

**_**Insurgents with state of the art weapons** _ ** **__ ** **_**herd** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**villagers** _ ** **_**into a large group in an open space while others** _ ** **__ ** **_**went** _ ** **_**into** _ ** **_**the villagers’** _ ** **_**house** _ ** **_**s** _ ** **_**, peppering the walls with bullet holes** _ ** **_**as they searched for stragglers** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**One of the men** _ ** **_**, a member of** _ ** **__ ** **_**the group that had** _ ** **_**kidnapped Tony** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**shouted orders to his men** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **__ ** **_**In the background,** _ ** **_**a man wrapped his arms** _ ** **__ ** **_**around his children and wives** _ ** **_**as they weaved through the chaos, trying to get away from the danger.** _ ** **__ ** **_**Unfortunately, t** _ ** **_**he bearded** _ ** **__ ** **_**man** _ ** **_**spotted them and** _ ** **_**commanded his men to grab the father and put him in with the other men.** _ **

“Why are they doing this?” M’gann cried, shuddering at the pain those people must have been going through. “Why are they attacking these people? They don’t need them for anything!”

“They do.” John stated, his tone so cold and detached that everyone stared at him with a degree of worry. It was only when they looked in his eyes that they saw the burning fury and the bitter pain that he had suppressed. “They’re emptying the village for a number of reasons.”

“There’s no need to tell them-”

“If they’re going to continue fighting the fight, Bats, then they need to to know now.” John countered harshly, his tone like flint. “Better _we_ tell them here so they know what they’ll face if they ever come across it than to coddle them now and have this kind of bomb dropped on them in the field.”

“They’ll have no reason to go into ‘the field’ John!” Clark added, sounding aghast at the man’s stance. “They’re not soldiers!”

“Perhaps you should let _us_ decide whether or not we would like to hear this.” Kaldur stated, weighing into the brewing argument on behalf of his Team.

“Kaldur’s right.” Artemis nodded as she sat up from where she had lain, curled up beside her boyfriend. “Besides, I thought your motto was ‘be prepared.’”

“That’s the Boy’s Scout motto kid.” Oliver stated before turning to Clark and Bruce. “They’ve been fighting the same war we have; heck, if it wasn’t for _them,_ we’d still be enslaved by a certain glorified caveman.”

“The Team has shown remarkable development over the past year, as individuals _and_ as a unit.” Diana added. “They are mature enough to handle this.”

The two opposing factions stared each other down for a few moments before Clark sighed and nodded.

“The terrorists -insurgents, in this case, since they’re operating in their own country and rebelling against the established government- do these… raids… for two reasons.” John stated, his tone still hard. “First, it is a way of drawing attention; a way of saying ‘we are serious about every demand we made.’ It throws most governments into disarray as they are forced to direct attention to finding and stopping the insurgents. The second reason…”

“Numbers.” Diana growled hatefully. “The insurgents typically represent a minority among a given population. As such their numbers are usually almost minuscule allowing them to be very mobile in their operations. The disadvantage of having such small numbers, however, is that the military can simply throw numbers at them to flush them out. To counter this, they use these raids to gain warm bodies for their campaigns: the men have the lives of their families held over their heads as they are forced to act as cannon fodder for a cause they may very well despise. The women become little more than breeding stock with the more rebellious ones turned into living weapons. The children, though…” The Amazon drifted off, unwilling to speak of such atrocities.

“The kids are typically brainwashed.” Clark clenched his fist angrily, remembering the brutal things he had seen when he worked on the story of the state of the war-ravaged Middle East countries with Lois years ago. “They make the children believe whatever their cause dictates then they give them guns and have them fight.”

“Or they starve them and then strap bombs onto them and send them into camps.” John added. At that point, his ring was flashing almost constantly, a symbol of how much rage he was feeling inside.

The Cave grew deathly silent as the Team stared in wide eyed horror.

**_**Suddenly the man was** _ ** **_**grabbed** _ ** **_**by an insurgent** _ ** **_**while another herded his family away,** _ ** **_**the** _ ** **_**woman** _ ** **_**screaming for** _ ** **__ ** **_**her husband** _ ** **_**while desperately trying** _ ** **_**to** _ ** **_**keep a firm** _ ** **_**hold** _ ** **_**of** _ ** **_**her children.** _ ** **_**It was a futile effort: the children were screaming just as much as she was, squirming vigorously in their attempts to rush to their father until one of them broke free** _ ** **_**and raced towards hi** _ ** **_**s** _ ** **_**father** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**Seeing his son running toward him and knowing the terrible things that could be done to him if he didn’t comply** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**the father tore himse** _ ** **_**lf away from the insurgent** _ ** **_**and** _ ** **_**ran towards his** _ ** **_**boy** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**plead** _ ** **_**ing** _ ** **_**with the child** _ ** **_**to r** _ ** **_**et** _ ** **_**u** _ ** **_**r** _ ** **_**n to his mother. The** _ ** **_**y only had a few moments together before they were** _ ** **__ ** **_**yank** _ ** **_**ed apart a** _ ** **_**gain; this time, though,** _ ** **_**the bearded** _ ** **__ ** **_**man** _ ** **_**took action himself, callously throwing** _ ** **__ ** **_**the boy** _ ** **_**back to his** _ ** **_**mother before directing a severe glare at the father and proceeding to beat him to within an inch of his life.** _ ** **__ ** **_**After minutes of that hell, the man gave the order for the young father to be killed right there, with his family watching.** _ ** **_**The man's** _ ** **__ ** **_**family shouted in horror as** _ ** **_**he** _ ** **_**was pulled onto his knees and** _ ** **_**an insurgent held a gun to his** _ ** **_**head** _ ** **_**.** _ **

**_**"Papa!"** _ **

“Oh God, no!” M’gann whispered as Zatanna almost lost the little bit of food she had snacked on since the movie began.

“Show up now.” Wally pleaded under his breath, his hand gripping Artemis’ tightly. “ _Please show up now!_ ”

**_**Suddenly, all eyes were drawn to the sky when an odd, keening sound was heard as a tiny dark speck approached at incredible speeds, growing larger as it came closer until a distinct figure slammed onto the ground in a cloud of kicked up dust.** _ **

No one in the room said a word, no one so much as _smiled_ when Tony arrived.

After the harsh truths John and Diana had revealed, the mood was simply too sour for them to be interested in anything but the swift retribution Tony was a about to visit on the terrorist bastards.

**_**A single shooter opened fire** _ ** **_**at point blank range** _ ** **__ ** **_**only to stare in dawning horror as the** _ ** **_**bullets** _ ** **_**pinged off the armored man’s suit.** _ **

**_**Tony allowed the man’s assault to go on for a moment longer to emphasize the futility of such efforts to everyone present before slamming a fist into the gunner’s stomach, sending the insurgent flying into a concrete wall. His repulsors charged up with a distinct whine as he** _ ** **__ ** **_**went on the attack, firing precise, half-second blasts at the closest insurgents, blasting one into a wall and the other into a crate of weapons before swinging around to take out the group around the van-** _ **

**_**His hands slowly dropped to his sides, the sound of the charging repulsors gradually powering down as he analyzed the sight before him.** _ **

**_**Four insurgents** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **__ ** **_**their** _ ** **_**guns** _ ** **_**out and trained on the violently shuddering, frightened forms of the innocent villagers** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“Shameless swine!”

“Fucking bastards!”

Oliver’s foul curse was uttered at the same moment as Diana’s harsh insult yet no one cared; in fact, the sentiments in the room perfectly matched those comments.

**_**Inside the helmet, a white** _ ** **_**target** _ ** **_**ing reticule scanned** _ ** **__ ** **_**each person within view and marked them with one of two designations: white ‘civilian’ tags for the villagers; red targeting reticules for the ‘hostile’ gun-toting insurgents.** _ **

**_**To the insurgents, they had the strangely armored man right where they wanted him and they brazenly gloated and made demands of him.** _ ** **__ **

**_**To Tony, who activated the shoulder-mounted micro-** _ ** **_**missiles** _ ** **_**, they were dead men talking.** _ **

**_**A single, unspoken command, five trails of propellant fumes,** _ ** **__ ** **_**simultaneous impacts… and five dead hostiles.** _ **

**_**The villagers held on to each other, fear palpable around them as they struggled to comprehend the reality that they were no longer in immediate danger. For the young boy who had just been separated from his father, though, the armored man meant** _ ** ****nothing** ** **_**: he once again slipped out of his mother’s grasp and ran into his father’s arms, tears of relief streaming down his cheeks.** _ **

**_**All was right with the world again, the boy decided, as he watched their armored savior march away determinedly.** _ **

“He saved them.” M’gann released a relieved sigh she didn’t even know she had been holding in as Conner gently rubbed her back. “They’re alright.”

**_**Meanwhile, t** _ ** **_**he bearded** _ ** **_**insurgent** _ ** **__ ** **_**cowered** _ ** **_**behind a wall, frantically dialing on an ancient looking cell phone** _ ** **_**.** _ ** **_**He** _ ** **_**had just** _ ** **_**leaned against the wall** _ ** **_**for a moment when** _ ** **_**a** _ ** **_**shiny, armored** _ ** **_**fist punched through the concrete wall.** _ **

**_**The bearded man stared at it for a moment in** _ ** **__ ** **_**horror** _ ** **_**before the fist clamped onto his clothes and straight up yanked him** _ ** **_**through the wall** _ ** **_**and** _ ** **_**toss** _ ** **_**ed** _ ** **_**him to the dusty ground a** _ ** **_**t** _ ** **_**villagers** _ ** **_**’ feet.** _ **

**_**“He’s all yours.”** _ ** **_**Tony** _ ** **_**stated, his voice modulated just enough to be unrecognizable to the strangers** _ ** **__ ** **_**present before taking off.** _ **

“Okay, that’s leaning a bit toward overkill.” Clark winced as Tony blasted off. “Leaving that guy to those villagers’ mercy? He might as well have killed the guy himself.”

“’Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.’” John quoted coldly. “He showed them no mercy when he came into their lives and destroyed all that they held dear; putting him at _their_ mercy is just poetic justice.”

“This ‘poetic justice’ as you call it, ignores the laid down laws of the land.” Bruce countered. “Having people take the law into their own hands is a dangerous slope.”

“And normally, I’d agree with you. However, in this case, I don’t.” John stated with a shrug. “These people have just lost everything, Bruce; their homes are riddled with bullets, many of their friends have been carted off, their village looks like a war zone… the least you could give them is a vent to release all that pain and frustration. And if that vent happens to be the same bastard that ordered all those atrocities in the first place, well… karma came early for him.”

“I’m just glad that none of the innocents were harmed during his attack.” Diana said with a relieved smile that was mirrored on most members of the Team’s face. “While I have not been as effusive in my praise of Stark’s abilities, I must admit that he handled that hostage situation far better than I expected.”

“Yeah, it looks like Tony’s got a few tricks up the _Mark III_ ’s sleeves.” Dick nodded as he got to work jotting down the new details about the suit and which elements would go into the HELLBAT and which others would find their way into Conner’s suit. “I mean, the micro seeker missiles were unexpected but they worked perfectly for that hostage situation.”

“Plus, it looks like the use of the gold-titanium alloy has helped balance out the weight problem he had earlier.” Conner remarked. “He didn’t crater the ground when he landed this time.”

“True…” Wally agreed. “I wonder if the _Mark III_ beats the _Monstrosity_ in terms of strength? I mean, Tony just punched through what looked like solid concrete and then _dragged a full grown adult_ right through said wall while the _Monstrosity_ punched down a steel wall in, like, four blows.”

“You guys will debate the numbers later.” Artemis stated firmly, cutting the boys off before they could get their geek on. “We’ve got a movie to watch.”

**_**Tony** _ ** **_**zipped through the sky** _ ** **_**at quite the incredible pace** _ ** **_**,** _ ** **_**JARVIS scanning for the insurgents’ weapons caches. He had just located one** _ ** **__ ** **_**group with a Jericho** _ ** **_**missile** _ ** **_**launcher** _ ** **__ ** **_**in the process of acquiring a target when he** _ ** **_**was suddenly blasted out of the air.** _ **

“What the heck was that?!” Wally cried as, onscreen, Tony smashed into the ground.

“It seemed like a projectile, possibly a ground-to-air air-burst round fired from a tank.” John stated as Tony pulled himself out of the crater he had created upon crash-landing. “That’s some high-end durability on the _Mark III’s_ side there considering how it just basically shrugged off at least .072 kilotons of TNT.*”

“Yep, definitely a tank.” Hal stated as a tank rolled up and fired another shell at Tony who dodged and fired a far smaller missile in retaliation before walking away. “Huh. That didn’t do- Son of a _bitch_!”

Everyone gaped at the sheer destruction left in the wake of Tony’s attack.

“Okay… note to self: do _not_ underestimate Tony’s weapons.” Oliver muttered to himself, though everyone heard -and agreed with- him.

**_**Incredible as his counterstrike had been, the delay had allowed the** _ ** **_**insurgents** _ ** **_**in the area to gather together and mount an offensive of their own** _ ** **__ ** **_**as the opened fire with every firearm they had unleashing a hail of bullets at Tony’s armored form.** _ **

**_**They’d have had an easier time tossing pencils at a charging rhino.** _ **

**_**Tony, utterly unfazed by their futile efforts, rose to about fifteen feet into the air, his sensors locating and marking out the missiles and other weapons caches for him. The distinct whine of the repulsors rang above the din of gunfire before he began his assault, taking out the missiles and caches with powerful blasts of energy. The closest insurgents turned tail and fled the moment they saw him begin his attack however their attempts at escaping were again in vain as Tony’s targets detonated violently, unleashing powerful fireballs that immolated anyone within range.** _ **

‘It’s okay, M’gann, it’s okay.’ Conner thought, projecting safe thoughts to his girlfriend who had buried her face into his side the moment the tank exploded. ‘I’m here, okay? I won’t let anything bad happen to you.’

**_**In the distance, a** _ ** **_**convoy of trucks** _ ** **_**rolled to a stop and the bald terrorist from the caves** _ ** **__ ** **_**stared at the destruction that ravaged his base even as Tony blast** _ ** **_**ed out of the** _ ** **_**fireball in a blur of speed** _ ** **_**.** _ **

“I gotta say, that was a decent stress test for the _Mark III_.” Hal remarked as Dinah paused the movie (sending a slight glare at her sheepishly grinning partner while she did). “He was able to run live tests on the armor’s durability, strength, speed weapons and energy output in hostile conditions.”

“In addition, he was able to slow down the Ten Rings operation in that region.” Kaldur pointed out. “Even if it was a minor outpost, he still destroyed the two _Jericho_ missiles along with multiple weapon caches which has to amount to something.”

“Very true.” Clark nodded. “I wonder how baldy’s going to respond to all that?”

“Well, seeing as this is the first movie in the boxset, maybe we’ll see more of the Ten Rings in later movies?” Wally asked, being one of the more knowledgeable ones about the whole ‘movie franchise’ thing. “I mean, it seemed like a pretty innocuous mention but I wouldn’t be surprised if the organization turns out to be of greater significance.”*

“Well-” Hal let loose a jaw-cracking yawn as he stood up and stretched. “You guys stay here and debate that stuff, _I_ need to hit the loo.”

No one said a word as the Lantern hovered out of the room into the depths of the Cave.

A few moments later, John turned to Dinah and smiled mischievously. “Wanna ‘accidentally’ hit the play button while he’s out of the room?”

Dinah’s eyes grew comically wide even as her hand hovered lightly over the remote. “What are you talking ab- oh, looks like my hand slipped.”*

As the movie continued amid the laughter of the Team and the other members of the League, Oliver turned to stare at his partner with a deadpan expression. “Babe, I love you but your acting _sucks_.”

“Oh shut up!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *- First off, the little research I did into the titanium-gold intermetallic (if tht doesn’t prove that I at least read about it, nothing will XD) shows that, while it is bulletproof, it is only so in the short term: repeated bullet impacts will gradually affect it and higher caliber munitions -like that bloody tank round- would basically tear through it. However, Tony’s words ‘shell metals’ always had me believing the gold-titanium was only one layer in a very complex machine. So I’m making it canon here: the suit’s got multiple layers, each with varying metals that fit the required assignment.   
> *- This element of Diana’s backstory -as with a number of other scenarios spread all through this fic (Hal’s dislike for AIs, Lois hating reading as a kid etc)- is almost certainly not true. That being said, I took elements of this (including the mental image of a young Diana) from the first Wonder Woman movie (tell me tiny!Diana getting soaked in honey while her exasperated mother facepalms isn’t funny. I dare you). I’m using this fic as a sort of bonding exercise for the Team to the JL and creating these regular, non-heroic scenes for everyone to laugh about just feels right to me. If nothing else, it makes the mainline JL members a bit less of ‘perfect gods’ and more ‘hey, I had such experiences as a kid too!’ relate-able (something I’ve always felt DC sorely lacks)  
> *- Again, a completely non-canon series of points as I doubt that the Planet has a radio station. However, elements of this conversation stem from 2018’s The Death of Superman animated movie (Steve Lombard for example, and his general greasiness)  
> *- Every woman I know agreed on one thing after watching that scene: that lady really should have kept her mouth shut. Had she waited for Tony to recognize her rather than sounding like a -according to a dear friend of mine- ‘sleazy slut’ she would not have received what was undoubtedly one of the coldest dismissals in modern media. Diana’s comment about self dignity is a paraphrased version of another friend’s comment.  
> *- A fundraiser for orphans sponsored primarily by Queen Consolidated. Non-canon.  
> *- I’m not kidding: she specifically went for the guys who had enough decency to step back if they felt the girl was getting uncomfortable. She’d date them, play the ‘hesitant maiden’ schtick and then go behind the guy’s back claiming that was a wimp who couldn’t ‘take charge’ of a situation. She’d gone through four guys before she got busted on that shit.  
> *- The explosive yield stated here (72 tons of TNT) is probably low-balling the hell out of the Mark III’s durability since the explosive yield I used is that of an old WW2 shell (though said shell was nuclear) -Source: Wikipedia.  
> *- I made this assumption on my third viewing of the movie so I think it isn’t completely unlikely that someone here could mention it.  
> *- This shit is annoying as all hell when your mates do it to you… which is why it’s fun as all hell to do it back! XD
> 
> Special thanks as usual to Lady Katana of the Blade and Mr War.
> 
> The Ethereal Lord.
> 
> Patreon.com/theethereallord   
> Your support is greatly appreciated!


	7. Treachery

**_The next scene started off pretty innocuously: a monitor showing a sat-scan of the village Tony had just liberated, a number of uniformed soldiers going about their duties…_ **

“Uh-oh.” John muttered, already knowing exactly where this was headed. “Looks like Tony’s good deeds just attracted the worst kind of attention.”

“What do you mean?” Zatanna asked as her youth combined with her sheltered upbringing meant that she knew even _less_ than the rest of the Team about what was going on. “These are the military, right? So they’ve gotta be happy that someone just helped them clear things up in there.”

“I’m afraid that’s not how the military works, miss.” John muttered before sighing. “The military likes things to be kept clean and orderly so that their strategists can predict the enemy’s moves and help direct things. When things come flying at them out of the blue, though-”

“Like a genius billionaire in an ultra-high tech, Gryffindor-themed battle suit?” Artemis asked with not a little amount of sarcasm.

“That certainly qualifies.” John chuckled, appreciating the blonde’s cutting wit. “Anyway, when things like this happen, any sane military does their level best to figure out who screwed with their plans and, in cases like these, they try to acquire such technology for their own use.”

“An Armored Legion…” Clark frowned. “Not sure that would be a good idea, honestly.”

**_"What the hell was that?” A soldier asked as he stopped to stare at the information displayed on the screen: the satellite had just picked up the distinct heat signature of an explosion less than half a mile out from the village of Gulmira. A frown creased his forehead as he tried to remember if they had received any orders regarding missions in that area. “Were we cleared to go in there?"_ **

**_"No, they were using human shields. We never got the green light." The response from the technical staff was just as he had expected and he immediately turned to another soldier. “Get those monitors up!”_ **

**_In the background, another soldier -a commanding officer by the look of things- had slipped on a pair of headphones. “Put me through to State.” He frowned as alarms blared_ ** **_and displayed_ ** **_an unidentified, fast moving object that the satellite had just picked up. “They’re going to be all over this.”_ **

“A~nd there we go.” John shook his head. “He is firmly on the military’s radar-”

“What the hell!” Hal yelled as he rushed in to see them already far beyond where he’d left them. “I thought we were watching it together!”

“We are.” Oliver replied with a shit eating grin. “Except if this was a cinema you wouldn’t expect us all to wait just cause you had to take a leak now would you?”

“But- but-” Seeing the utterly unrepentant grins on everyone else’s faces, he sank into the hard-light sofa and scowled. “You guys suck.”

**_"We got a bogey!"_ **

**_"Wasn't Air Force!"_ **

**_"We got the CIA on the line?" The commanding officer asked._ **

**_"I've got Langley on the line. They want to know if it's us." The soldier_ ** **_repli_ ** **_ed._ **

**_"No, it definitely is not us, sir!" Another soldier shouted._ **

**_"Wasn't Navy." One soldier said._ **

**_"Wasn't Marines!" Another called out._ **

“Yup,” John sighed. “It’ll be a real party now.”

**_"I need answers! Can I please get eyes on target?" The commanding officer snapped._ **

**_"Negative, negative." One soldier told him. "Cannot identify."_ **

**_"Get me Colonel Rhodes from Weapons Development down here now!" The commanding officer demanded while the armored billionaire flew on without a care in the world._ **

“He seems pretty chill for someone whose about to be shot out of the air.” Hal noted as he snagged a bag of nachos from Dinah with a hard-light construct. “And he’s getting the hang of flying too.”

“I’m sorry, can we roll back to the ‘about to be shot out of the air’ part?!” Conner practically demanded as Dinah flicked a popcorn kernel at Hal. “Why would they even _aim_ at him? He just saved a whole village _and_ took out the bad guys’ weapons!”

“He’s operating a strange craft in a legal no-fly zone.” John explained, patiently weathering the younger boy’s glare. “Like it or not, that’s a crime in and of itself; when you consider the fact that he’s a civilian with absolutely no hope of obtaining the right military authorization to even _try_ what he just did… well, I’d be a lot more surprised if the CO doesn’t try to shoot him out of the air.”

“Wait. What’s a CO?” M’gann asked.

“It’s an abbreviation, M’gann; in the military, it means ‘Commanding Officer’ and it generally refers to the highest ranking authority figure during a military operation at a given time,” Kaldur explained. “We have a slightly different word for it in Atlantean but the meaning remains the same.”

“Oh. Thanks, Kaldur!”

**_As soon as James Rhodes walked into the base, the CO turned to him and fired off a quick explanation: "We ran an ID check and cross-referenced with all known databases. We have nothing."_ **

“Looks like Tony might have a bit of a buffer bet- _between!_ himself and the army,” Dick’s tone hitched and then jumped when he felt Zatanna snuggling deeper into his side, the sudden closeness temporarily shorting his brain out, to the amusement of the more observant adults present. He recovered quite hastily, though, so, aside from a funny glance from Wally, he had nothing to worry about from his teammates. “The Colonel might be able to help him throw off some of the attention.”

“Considering what happened the last time they saw each other?” Artemis asked skeptically. “I’m not sure if I believe it’ll be that easy.”

“They you’re probably underestimating the strength of their friendship,” Clark pointed out. “I mean, I expect Rhodes to be a little off-balance by this whole thing but, if anything, I’d say that the revelation that Tony _wasn’t_ suffering some crazy, PTSD-induced thoughts might actually bring them closer.”

“Even if he _is_ suffering such thoughts,” Bruce added. When he saw that he was on the receiving end of questioning stares from the Team, the Dark Knight sighed. “The scene where Tony shot at his reflections earlier, just before he donned the _Mark III_? It pointed at deep-seated guilt, likely over the events happening in Gulmira.”

“Hold on,” Wally shook his head as he sat up, a confused frown etched onto his eyebrows. “Why would that scene point at any guilt? I thought he was just practicing his aim or how to control the power of the repulsor blasts.”

“You may be right, Wally, but you need to think beyond the obvious,” Dinah said, her voice sounding drained as she addressed the boy as much as the rest of the Team. “So he wanted to test the repulsors, do you really think firing three shots was enough of a test? And even if it was, don’t you find it odd that he shot at his own reflection rather than the hundreds of other objects around him?” The Cave grew silent as the young heroes struggled to process the information the blonde had just shared with them. “We noticed it partly because we’re more experienced than you are but also because some of us have been there: we’ve been at the point where looking into the mirror was just a reminder of our failures.”

“But…” M’gann hesitated slightly before continuing, “You didn’t say anything…”

“There’s little more effective nightmare fuel than the reminder of all your failures,” Hal’s accompanying laugh was weak, forced, and yet again the Team saw hints of the scars that their mentors had gathered over the years.

**_It took less than a moment for Rhodes to process the situation before getting into the swing of things: "Any high altitude surveillance in the region?"_ **

**_"We got an AWAC and a Global Hawk in the area." A soldier stated._ **

**_"So this thing just appeared out of nowhere? How come it didn't show up on the radar?" Rhodes demanded._ **

**_"Got a minimal radar cross section, sir." Another soldier explained._ **

**_That made no sense to the Colonel who peered into the closest monitor to confirm what he had just heard. "Is it stealth?"_ **

**_"No, sir, it's… tiny.” The soldier elaborated, sounding utterly baffled. “We think it's an unmanned aerial vehicle."_ **

“Not impossible,” John murmured, mentally scrolling through the list of UAVs he had heard of in his time in the military. “Could be a drone of some sort, though the shape wouldn’t match any known drones.”

**_At this point, the Commanding Officer knew that he had run out of options so he turned to Rhodes, the only person on the base who might know more than he did. "Colonel, what are we dealing with here?"_ **

**_As it turned out, the CO wasn’t the only one who had reached the end of the line and was now ready to look beyond himself. "Let me make a call," Rhodes said before commanding a nearby sergeant to move over._ **

“One guess who he’s calling.” Conner smirked as the sound of a ringing phone blasted through the speakers while the scene changed to show the armored billionaire as he cruised through the air.

“Dude, not even _Tweedledum_ would miss that one.” Dick replied with an amused roll of his eyes.

**_"Hello?"_ **

**_"Tony?" Rhodes called, barely able to hear his friend thanks to the sounds of rushing winds. "It's Rhodes."_ **

**_"Who's this?" Tony asked as JARVIS pulled up a picture of the Colonel into Tony's line of view. "Sorry, hello?"_ **

**_"I said it's Rhodes!"_ **

**_"Speak up please."_ **

**_"What the hell is that noise?" Rhodes demanded, struggling to be heard over the rushing wind._ **

**_"Oh, yeah, I'm driving with the top down." Tony lied._ **

“You know, that lie is… actually believable,” Zatanna hummed thoughtfully. “I mean, ‘billionaire playboy gets cooped up in the house for too long and decides to go for a roaring drive around his estate’ sounds very possible.”

“Except we’re dealing with a chronically irresponsible playboy and Pepper’s not here,” Oliver snorted. “Unless he programmed his AI to keep track of his lies, then this one’s going to fall through in a few minutes.”

**_"Yeah, well, I need your help right now." The Colonel requested._ **

**_"It's funny how that works, huh?"_ **

“He sounds… hurt,” M’gann noted sadly, easily hearing the pain that the genius had tried to hide beneath the cutting sarcasm in his tone.

“Not a surprise considering how their last meeting ended,” Wally stated quietly. “I mean, I kinda get where Rhodey was coming from now but… I think I’d feel pretty much the same as Tony does right now if something like that happened to me too.”

“I just hope they get their friendship back on track,” Zatanna muttered. “I mean, Pepper’s great and all but… Tony needs Rhodey; he needs someone that’ll party with him but isn’t afraid to be harsh with him either.”

**_Rhodes forced himself not to wince at his friend’s cutting tone, knowing that giving Tony what could be construed as the ‘moral high ground’ could easily lead them onto a cyclic argument that would end up in lots of yelling and little else. So, with laser-like focus, he forged on: "Yeah. Speaking of funny, we've got a weapons depot that was just blown up a few clicks from where you were being held captive."_ **

**_"Well, that's a hot spot. Sounds like someone stepped in and did your job for you, huh?" Tony asked, panting slightly as the adrenaline from his little raid drained out of his system and the fatigue of the flight to Gulmira, the fight itself and now his return trip gradually settled in._ **

**_Unfortunately for him, his friend was a soldier, trained to notice the slightest of details and the Colonel knew damned well that ‘driving with the top down’ should never have caused one to sound so utterly out of breath. "Why do you sound out of breath, Tony?"_ **

“And the lie’s about to come crumbling down.” John sighed amusedly. 

**_"I'm not, I was just jogging in the canyon." Tony lied again._ **

**_"I thought you were driving."_ **

**_Tony swore he could hear the deadpan in his friend’s voice as he thought of some way to try to keep up the now shambolic lie. "Right, I was driving to the canyon, where I'm going to jog."_ **

“Wait, lemme get this straight,” Artemis said as everyone struggle to hold back their laughs at the utterly ridiculous lie. “If he _was_ driving to the canyon where he is _going_ to jog… what’s he doing now?”

“Genius my ass!” Hal roared as the Cave erupted into peals of laughter. “I know three year olds that could string together better lies than that!”

“Maybe the helmet suffered an atmosphere leak and his brain’s shorting out due to reduced oxygen levels!” Dick added as he wiped a tear away.

**_Ignoring the blatant lies his friend was spewing, Rhodes once again steered the conversation to the matter at hand: "You sure you don't have any tech in that area I should know about?"_ **

**_Tony’s cheerful "Nope!" was immediately drowned out by a loud shout of "Bogey spotted!" by one of the technical staff._ **

**_Sure enough, a blurry pixelated video feed of the flying suit of armor appeared on the screen, followed by another shout, this time from the soldier monitoring their response to the unknown object that sent a cold shiver down Rhodes’ spine: "Whiplash, come in hot."_ **

**_Every hint of brevity left the Colonel’s tone that instant as he tried to convey the sudden seriousness of the situation to his friend: "Okay, good, 'cause I'm staring at one right now, and it's about to be blown to kingdom come."_ **

“Looks like Tony’s got one last test to complete before this day is over.” Hal leaned forward, anticipation clear in his tone as a pair of F-22 fighters pulled up behind the genius in an attack formation. “Let’s see how he does in a live-fire flight test against some of the best in the business.”

**_Tony,_ ** **_ finally _ ** **_getting a clue to how much trouble he was in, instantly spun away, trying to lose the jets who were just as doggedly doing their best to keep him in their sights._ **

**_"Ballroom, this is Whiplash One. I've got the bogey in my sights," Whiplash announced._ **

**_"Whiplash One, what is it?" Rhodes asked, leaning forward with not a little intrigue visible on his face. He knew Tony, after all, and he was certain that whatever that tiny speck was, it was undoubtedly something impressive._ **

**_"I've got no idea," The fighter pilot informed him._ **

**_"You have radio contact?" If Rhodes was intrigued by the tiny object, the Commanding officer was annoyed by_ ** **_its_ ** **_very existence in his airspace and he made that very clear in his tone._ **

**_"Non-responsive, sir."_ **

John, having seen this coming the moment the air base was shown, slapped a palm on his forehead and sighed. “And… here come the fireworks.”

**_"Then you are clear to engage." The CO permitted._ **

“Yup. Bullets away.”

**_Whiplash One engaged immediately, maneuvering his craft to track the unknown object until his missiles locked on. However, just before he could fire, the object sped up to nearly three times its former speed, tearing through the sound barrier like it was nothing. "That bogey just went supersonic!” The pilot shouted, stunned by what he had just seen of the unusual object. However, he noticed that his targeting reticule still had a lock on the target and he immediately called out: “I got a lock!" before hitting a red button, triggering the release of a sleek missile that instantly leapt forward with a keening wail, headed unerringly for a certain billionaire genius._ **

“Goddamn that’s fast!” Hal exclaimed as the missile ate up the distance toward it’s target at an alarming rate.

**_"Inbound missile." JARVIS warned as the missile got within five hundred meters._ **

**_"Flares!" Tony called out immediately, at which point a small section at the hip of the suit popped up and unleashed a flurry of tiny, electromagnetic spores that scrambled the missile’s sensors and triggering an early explosion. Unfortunately, between the force of the explosion and the little distance between ‘ground zero’ and the suit, Tony was knocked for six._ **

“Maybe the explosion covered his esca-”

**_"Wait a second. Bogey deployed flares!"_ **

“Never mind,” Zatanna muttered as the two fighters veered around the expanding fireball to continue their pursuit of the wildly spiraling Tony.

**_Tony found himself in a bind, falling rapidly with his repulsors intermittently responding and then failing in a seemingly endless cycle that had him gasping in fear until he was able to re-establish firm control of the repulsors and wrest control of his flight just as one of the jets opened fired, unleashing a barrage of bullets at the armored billionaire._ **

**_He did his best to escape the bullet hail, jinking left and right at random yet the pilots proved to be more than equal to the task, matching his every move and peppering him with bullets at every turn._ **

“Hah! You see that, Speedy?” Hal jeered at Wally. “Still think your unmanned drones could match that kind of flying? ‘Cause that’s just a taste of what us flyboys can do!”

“ _Don’t_ ,” Artemis murmured to her clearly incensed boyfriend, gripping his forearm tightly to further reinforce her stance.

Wally wanted to go on, to argue with the older man but, after weighing the joy of a potential victory against his girlfriend’s disappointment, he huffed and sat back.

**_Onscreen, Tony, battered by bullets and seeing that simply dodging wasn’t working, decided to switch things up with a new order: "Deploy flaps!"_ **

**_In the next instant, the suit’s flaps blew out, the sudden drag all but stalling his flight completely, much to the surprise of the fighter pilots who blew past him in seconds._ **

**_"Holy!" The pilot of Whiplash One cried out, head twisting frantically as he tried to find their target. "That thing just jumped off the radar, sir!"_ **

**_"Sat visual has been lost!" Added a soldier at the base._ **

“Impressive move,” Bruce nodded. “He took advantage of his suit’s superior maneuverability to pull off a shock move that the pilots never saw coming.”

“But how did he lose them on the radar _and_ the satellites?” Clark asked.

“I’m certain it will be revealed in time,” Diana pointed out, clearly eager to get back to the movie.

**_"No way that's a UAV," Whiplash One stated._ **

**_"What is it?" The CO demanded._ **

**_"I can't see anything," Whiplash Two stated._ **

**_"Whatever it was, it just bought the farm," Whiplash One declared._ **

**_"I think bogey's been handled, sir," Whiplash Two informed the Ballroom._ **

**_Rhodes shook his head in clear bewilderment when his phone went off. Glancing down at it, he was faced with Tony's picture along with the words 'The Starkster.' "Hello?"_ **

**_"Hi, Rhodey, it's me," Tony said, his glib tone underpinned by a sense of urgency._ **

**_"It's who?"_ **

**_Tony, sensing that his friend was angry, immediately lost the glib tone. "I'm sorry, it is me,” He added: “You asked, what you were asking about me."_ **

**_"No, see, this isn't a game!” Rhodes demanded, only barely managing to keep his voice down. “You do not send civilian equipment into my active war zone, you understand that?"_ **

**_"This is not a piece of equipment, I'm in it. It's a suit,” Tony rambled in a slight panic as Rhodey's eyes widened. “It's me!"_ **

“What’s got him sounding so terrified?” A baffled Oliver asked. “I thought he just made it out of there?”

“Knowing him?” Artemis snorted. “I’m pretty sure he’s doing something that’s as ingenious as it is stupidly dangerous.”

**_The Commanding Officer, seeing the sudden look of shock that had just crossed the Colonel’s face, turned to him with a frown. "Rhodey, you got anything for me?"_ **

**_The bewildered Colonel could only stare as another soldier instructed the pilots: "Mark your position and return to base."_ **

**_"Roger that, Ballroom."_ **

**_As the first of the jets began to roll, the undercarriage of the ship came into view, allowing the second pilot to make a shocking discovery to the CO’s bewlderment and Rhodes’ mounting horror: "On your belly! It looks like a… man!"_ **

“Called it!” Artemis pointed at the frozen scene of Tony desperately latched onto the underside of the jet.

“It really was an ingenious move, though.” John commented. “By latching on to the underside of the jet, he’s taking advantage of his smaller size to hide from the satellite’s visual and thermal imaging. He’s also so close to the ship that he renders the radar practically useless.”

“Yeah but Blondie the Second’s right,” Hal pointed out, ignoring Artemis’ withering scowl. “If he isn’t magnetically latched on, he’s about to get flung off when that guy goes into a roll.” It wasn’t just an educated guess either; his experience as a fighter pilot meant he knew precisely what the pilots would do in this situation.

He was proven right when Dinah hit the play button as the pilot of Whiplash One immediately called to his partner:

**_"Shake it off! Roll, roll!"_ **

**_Whiplash Two responded immediately, dropping into a steep dive as the pilot sent the jet into a violent series of spins, weakening Tony’s tenuous grasp on the ship’s underbelly until he was wrenched away after a particularly tight turn, sending the armored genius spiraling through the air to shear right through Whiplash One’s left wing._ **

“Oh shit!” Oliver exclaimed, eyes wide as the chase suddenly took a dark turn, the damaged ship now in an uncontrolled dive as the officers at the airbase -Rhodes inclusive- all stared as the atmosphere grew incredibly tense.

**_"Punch out, punch out!" Whiplash Two ordered as he brought his jet around on a tight turn._ **

**_Inside the damaged ship, the pilot quickly yanked on the ejector lever, sending his seat flying out of the cockpit mere moments before the rest of the jet was engulfed in flames._ **

**_"Whiplash one down!" The second fighter relayed to the base as the ejected seat tumbled through the air on a downward spiral as gravity took its toll._ **

**_"Whiplash Two, do you see a chute?" The CO asked._ **

**_"Negative! No chute, no chute!" Whiplash Two responded._ **

**_"My chute's jammed!" Whiplash One cried as he desperately tried to open up his chute to no avail adding to the mounting sense of horror that pervaded the airbase._ **

“Where’s Tony? Where’s Tony? Where’s Tony?” M’gann chanted quietly, the tension in the room climbing higher for every moment the pilot hurtled helplessly through the sky.

**_As if he’d heard the girl’s chants, a familiar figure bore down on the plummeting pilot, a trail of white smoke marking his path as he tried to catch up to the pilot._ **

**_"Sir, I've got a visual on the bogey." Whiplash Two announced._ **

**_"Whiplash Two, reengage. If you get a clear shot, you take it." The CO ordered._**

“Wait! Why are they-”

“They can’t tell whether he’s a friendly or not,” Dick answered before the young Martian could complete her question. “As far as they’re concerned, he disregarded a military hail, illegally engaged enemy combatants, evaded capture _and_ just took out a piece of military hardware. That points to him being a threat, not a hero.”

“Dick’s right: nothing Tony has done really make him out to be a hero to them,” Kaldur supported.

“What about Rhodey?” She asked, unwilling to accept the truth in their statements. “He has to be able to do _something_!”

“Except this isn’t his op.” John countered gently, trying to ease her into the reality of the situation. “Even if the Colonel speaks up, it is extremely unlikely that he can actually effect much of a change if the Commanding Officer is at odds with him.”

“But…”

“M’gann? Relax,” Conner murmured as he held her tightly to himself. “Whatever happens, I’m sure Tony will find a way out of this.”

It was clear that she didn’t quite believe that but it was enough to get her to remain quiet while the movie rolled on.

**_Rhodes balked at the Commanding Officer’s order. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the CO’s perspective however, the knowledge that it was his_ ** **_ best friend _ ** **_that was in the suit of armor that had just been marked for destruction had him doing his best to appeal to the ranking officer: "Major, we don't even know what we're shooting at. Call off the Raptors."_ **

**_"That thing just took out an F-22 inside a legal no fly zone!" The CO snapped, leveling a heated glare at Rhodes. "Whiplash Two, if you have a clear shot, take it!" He reiterated without breaking his glare at the Colonel._ **

**_While the situation at the airbase grew even more tense, Tony maintained his flight path, moving in an unerringly straight lint toward the tumbling pilot._ **

**_"You've been reengaged.” JARVIS observed as it brought up a projected flight path of the fighter jet into Tony’s peripheral vision along with a series of maneuvers to best facilitate an escape. “Execute evasive maneuver."_ **

**_‘No one else is going to die on my watch!’ Tony thought as he ignored the notifications after a single, perfunctory glance. "Keep going!"_ **

**_The next couple of moments were laden with mounting tension as Tony blasted down toward the free-falling pilot, shaving the distance between them at an almost agonizingly slow pace while the pilot of Whiplash Two maintained a furious chase, unwilling to let up yet unable to take a shot for fear of hitting his comrade further down._ **

**_It was a wild, desperate race, one that Tony eventually won when he finally closed the distance enough for him to reach Whiplash One’s ejector seat, slam a punch into the jammed lever, taking out the damaged apparatus and allowing the parachute to billow up and out, jerking the pilot into a more controlled descent and saving the man from what could easily have been his death._ **

**_The staff present at the airbase erupted into relieved cheers as the voice of Whiplash Two’s pilot blared an elated, "Good chute! Good chute!" through the speakers._ **

Though they were far less exuberant compared to the celebrations going on in the airbase onscreen, the tension that had built up in the Cave following Tony’s rescue attempt was now dissipated. No one saw a need to point out to M’gann that her fears had proven to be unnecessary; the Team in particular, because they knew how easily she could slip into the perceived emotions surrounding her if she really got into an activity. 

**_While the celebration went on, Rhodes quietly turned toward a less noisy corner and brought the phone back up to his ear. "Tony, you still there?"_ **

**_"Hey,” Tony’s smirk was clear even through his voice. “Thanks."_ **

**_"Oh, my God, you crazy son of a bitch.” Rhodes chuckled, relieved that his friend was alive and safe. “You owe me a plane. You know that, right?"_ **

“Eh, it’s Tony,” Wally shrugged casually. “Pretty sure he could buy a whole fleet of-”

“You realize that a single F-22 Raptor costs three hundred and fifty million dollars, right?” Hal asked with an arched eyebrow, his question drawing gaping expressions from the younger heroes present, particularly a more comical-looking Wally. “What, you thought state-of-the-art military craft came cheap?”

“N-not cheap but… _three hundred and fifty million_ ** _per fighter_** _?!_ ”

“Maybe next time you hear someone complain about the hefty defense budget, you’ll have a clue why they tend to be so fat in the first place,” John commented, drawing a scowl from Diana who immediately replied, “They have every right to complain if they have no homes and little food.”

“I’m not saying that they don’t have a right to complain, Princess, I’m just saying that the defense budget isn’t exactly something that can be skimped on-”

“Oh, so children deserve to go hungry so you can prepare for a war that is nowhere-!”

“Movie. Now.” Dinah stated firmly before stabbing pointedly at the play button

**_Tony laughed in response as he flew over the plains of mountains, watching an analysis of the damage done to the affected Raptor in the helmet’s virtual vision. "Yeah, well, technically, he hit me so… Now are you going to come by and see what I'm working on?"_ **

**_"No, no, no, no-”_ **

“Wait, he’s still rejecting-”

“He probably has a good reason for that,” Clark interjected, cutting Conner off before he could really get going. “And we’ll probably get to know what that reason is if we keep watching,” When the young clone huffed and returned his attention to the movie, the Man of Steel released a low sigh. “I don’t think he got that from me.”

“The jumping to conclusions part?” Bruce asked with an arched eyebrow.

“Or the huffing, silent treatment when you’re upset part?” Diana continued, a knowing smirk on her lips.

“Because we can list nearly a hundred instances of either,” Dinah finished with a grin. “ _Each._ ”

The Kryptonian said nothing more; rather, he slumped in his seat and _tried_ not to pout sulkily.

 _Tried._

**_“-no, no, the less I know, the better.” Rhodes replied, his mind awhirl with possibilities and problems and drafting out press statements. “Now, what am I supposed to tell the press?"_ **

“Training exercise.” Hal snorted as did Diana and John. “Isn’t that the usual BS?”

Not even a second later Tony said the exact sentence:

**_"Training exercise. Isn't that the usual BS?"_ **

**_"It's not that simple." The colonel argued back._ **

The residents of the Cave burst out into peals of laughter, loudest among them being Hal, John and Oliver who were almost rolling on the floor at Rhodes’ weak-ass response.

Clark, who should have joined them in laughing at the not-so-subtle jab at the military’s preferred deflection tactic, was busy with his clone-turned-protege. “Do you see why the Colonel chose to reject Tony’s offer for the time being? He has to do his best to remain honest and objective and by knowing the barest minimum about what Tony’s doing right now, he runs less of a risk of accidentally letting something important slip out when he’s giving a press conference.”

“… Fine,” Conner grumbled, grudgingly accepting that, in his haste to judge, he had made a gross error in judgement. He was about to speak again when the Cave burst into even louder gales of laughter as they watched the Colonel standing at a podium, fully decked out in his uniform, addressing the press:

**_"An unfortunate training exercise involving an F-22 Raptor occurred yesterday. I am pleased to report that the pilot was not injured. As for the unexpected turn of events on the ground in Gulmira, it is still unclear who or what intervened, but I can assure you that the United States government was not involved."_ **

“Hey, why does Obie look so… bothered?” Zatanna pointed out between gasps, drawing their attention to the faintly scowling man who looked far more serious than they had ever seen. “He seems almost… angry about something?”

"Maybe he’s upset about the whole Gulmira thing?” Clark offered, directing a subtle glance at Bruce, who was just sitting back, having nearly jumped n to defend the man yet again. “I mean, considering Miss Everheart’s photos, it’s not exactly a hard-fought secret that Stark Industries weapons are in the hands of terrorists.”

“You think he’s upset at how this could affect the company’s image?” Hal was definitely skeptical of the whole idea. “Because the whole sitting alone, watching with a stern expression strikes me as more of a mafioso kinda thing.”

“How do you even know what a mafioso is like?” John asked, staring quizzically at his partner.

“From movies and TV shows of course,” The Green Lantern shrugged casually as he reached out for a snack. “It doesn’t have to be accurate but the point still stands: dude looks more like a laid-down plan’s gone sour than being worried about the company’s image.”

“I’m with GL for this,” Artemis agreed as Zatanna and Wally nodded. “He looks more like my dad when he’s scheming.”

“You know, when you put it that way… yeah, I can definitely see it,” Dick agreed.

“We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one then,” Dinah said as she hit the play button. _‘And hope to God that you guys are wrong.’_

**_The next scene began with Pepper as walked down the stairs leading to Tony's garage, a quizzical expression clear on her face as she noticed the shattered glass shards strewn across the floor even as Tony’s yelps of pain rang out from deeper within the garage._ **

“So… any clues as to why our friendly neighbourhood playboy’s yelling like a girl?” Oliver asked.

“Maybe he’s treating his wounds?” Artemis suggested, to which everyone winced.

It wasn’t exactly a hidden fact but most people tended to overlook one crucial fact about superheroes: they got beaten up.

A _lot._

From bullet wounds to cracked (sometimes even broken) bones to lacerations, bruises and concussions, heroes had acquired it all and the one thing heroes generally hated, was the treatment of those wounds.

**_"Ow! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!" Tony cried out, still off-screen._ **

**_"It is a tight fit sir." JARVIS informed his creator._ **

**_"Sir, the more you struggle, the more this is going to hurt." JARVIS warned the billionaire._ **

**_"Be gentle. It's my first time." Tony said in a snarky manner despite his pain._ **

A chorus of extremely immature snickers rang out around the room, earning eyerolls and resounding slaps to the backs of their skulls from the ladies present.

**_Pepper finally reached the bottom of the stairs… and then stared, slack-jawed, at the sight in front of her in disbelief._ **

**_There, stranded mid-air on the very platform he had designed to ‘suit up’ as it were, was Tony, partially in the suit as the robotic arms struggled mightily with the jittery man._ **

**_"I designed this to come off, so- Ow! Hey!" Tony complained._ **

**_"Please, try not to move, sir." JARVIS pleaded._ **

**_"What's going on here?" Pepper asked, unable to process what she was seeing._ **

**_Tony turned to face Pepper standing a few feet away and an awkward silence washed over the room for a moment._ **

**_"Let's face it. This is not the worst thing you've caught me doing." Tony told her._ **

“Is it weird that the first thing I thought of is almost entirely sexual?” Zatanna asked with just the faintest hint of red dusting her cheeks.

“I was thinking part sexual, part embarrassing,” Artemis remarked, far less bothered by the thought than the sheltered Homo Magi while her boyfriend nearly choked, having sucked a little too harshly on his soda. “Sort of like when Tony and Christine rolled around in the sack earlier.”

“Oh God, I can just _imagine_ how **that** would play out,” Clark snorted humorously. “’ _Oh hi Pepper! Er, I am really attracted to you and I fell out of bed with her because I was thinking of you,’_ ” He snorted again while everyone laughed at the scenario he had just painted. “That would go down _swimmingly._ ”

“Oh, to be a fly on **that** wall!” Hal added, leading to another round of loud laughter.

**_"Are those bullet holes?" Pepper asked as her eyes finally fell upon the many dents and scratches in the armor, her mind immediately putting the pieces together._ **

“Technically they’re bullet… scratches?” Wally turned to Dick who shrugged at him, both still snickering. “Yeah, let’s go with that; bullet scratches.”

“And tank shell dents, falling from a great height impact dents and the occasional burn here and there,” Conner added, with a wide grin of his own.

“Oh, and don’t forget the three-fifty million dollar dent somewhere around his spine,” Zatanna summed up between gasps of laughter. “Man, if Pepper’s even half the mother hen she could be then Tony’s in for a long ride.”

**_The scene changed to show what looked like a small shanty-town at night, a number of open-back SUVs stationed around an entry point with armed men standing at the ready. The camera angle shifted_ ** **_as a number_ ** **_of SUV's drove into the camp to show Raza standing before a number of raised tents, his men hurrying to mount a ready welcome for their guests._ **

“Sheesh, you’d think they’re expecting the president or something.” Hal snorted as they watched a pair of gunmen hurry to stand by their boss. “All that’s left is the gun salute.”

“Considering how anxious the grunts seem and how they seem to be trying to make a good showing of themselves it could be-”

Whatever else the Dark Knight was about to say died in his throat as Obadiah Stane stepped out of one of the newly arrived vehicles.

“Son of a bitch.” Oliver murmured, all traces of humor vanishing from the Cave in an instant.

For the Team, the blatant betrayal struck hard due to how much they had gotten into the relationship between Tony and his mentor. Most of them had truly grown to like the older man and, though the scene of him scowling at Rhodes’ announcement was still at relatively fresh, the following scene of Tony’s suit-removal mishap had pushed it to the side.

For Diana, Hal, Oliver and John, the betrayal rang much deeper: it was a harsh reminder of Shayera Hol’s deception that had ultimately thrust the Earth into the center of the Thanagarian War.

For Dinah and Clark, though, it was less about the betrayal and more of the effects it would have on Bruce Wayne. Thanks to the time they had spent talking to the man after the revelation of his past,* they were the only two that realized exactly how fragile the man’s psyche was and that knowledge had birthed the deep-seated fear that had gradually grown as they watched him all but physically superimpose his staunchest ally, Alfred, upon Stane until this very moment.

They had no idea how he would react.

“M-may… maybe he’s…” M’gann’s almost heartbroken attempts to justify the man’s presence with the detestable terrorist ended with the young Martian trailing off, unable to do more than stare at the scene playing out before them.

**_The older man strolled over to the Ten Rings representative, a faint smile on his face as he stared at the scarred man._ **

**_"Welcome." Raza greeted before gesturing to the scar that so obviously held his guest’s attention. "Compliments of Tony Stark."_ **

**_"Ah, if you'd killed him when you were supposed to, you'd still have a face." Obadiah replied glibly._ **

A resounding crack rang out in the Cave, drawing everyone’s eye to Bruce’s seat where the man had just cracked the hardwood armrest in his grip.

**_"You paid us trinkets to kill a prince," Raza countered._ **

**_"Show me the weapon," Obadiah ordered, all traces of humor gone._ **

**_"Come,” Raza told him and turned to walk towards the tent behind him. “Leave your guards outside."_ **

**_Obadiah gestured for his men to stay put, leaving their men wait in a tense standoff, before following the terrorist into the tent where he was greeted with the reassembled suit of armor Tony had utilized to make his escape._ **

It was a testament to how shaken they were that not a single person present even thought of making a comment with regards to the reassembled _Monstrosity._

**_"His escape bore unexpected fruit," Raza stated as Obadiah circled the suit, taking in every inch of the crudely designed armor and committing it to memory. "This is only a first, crude effort. Stark has perfected his design. He has made a masterpiece of death.” Obadiah spared not a glance at the terrorist but squirreled the new piece of information away, suspecting that it had something to do with the ‘training exercise mishap’ that had been announced. “A man with a dozen of these could rule all of Asia. And you dream of Stark's throne.” The older man slanted an arched look at the terrorist before focusing on the suit. “We have a common enemy." Raza smirked as he walked over to a low couch and took a seat. “If we are still in business, I will give you these designs as a gift.” Once again, Obadiah ignored the man’s prattling as he slid two fingers into the hole at the center of the suit’s chest plate. A few mental calculations and the man frowned faintly as he gained a firm idea of what the cavity was meant to hold. "And in turn, I hope you'll repay me with a gift of iron soldiers." Raza finished his pitch by offering the man a drink._ **

**_Obadiah smiled as he turned to the man before leaning forward to rest a hand on his shoulder. Raza, sensing that something was amiss, stared at the man quizzically but he was already too late: behind him, Obadiah slid a panel down on a slim, black device that glowed an ominous crimson while emitting a high-pitched whine._ **

**_The effect was immediate: the terrorist’s veins bulged a sickly purple shade as his body froze, his breaths coming out in labored gasps._ **

**_Staring dispassionately at the man, Obadiah uttered a single statement in Urdu before switching to English. “Technology.” He scoffed as he pulled out a pair of glowing blue earplugs. “It’s always been your Achilles’ Heel in this part of the world.”_ **

**_“Don't worry. It'll only last for fifteen minutes. That's the least of your problems." Obadiah continued before walking out of the tent to see that his men had all the members of the Ten Rings down on their knees at gunpoint. "Crate up the armor and the rest of it.” He instructed as he walked up to his SUV. Just before he entered, he gave another instruction:_** “ ** _Alright, let's finish up here."_**

**_As he climbed in, the sound of gunfire could be heard as the background was temporarily illuminated by the flash from the muzzles._ **

“You bastard,” Conner growled, all but vibrating with repressed fury as M’gann buried her face into his side at the mass murder that had just been depicted, Wolf snarling in the background. “You rotten bastard!”

“You monster!” On the other side of the room, Artemis was only barely being restrained by her boyfriend as she screamed furiously at the TV; “What the hell is wrong with you! He cares about you and you-”

“I’ll be back,” Batman stated as he pushed himself out of his seat, his cowl back on and exuding an almost palpable rage as he stalked out of the Cave.

Clark and Dinah shared a single glance before chasing after him.

**_Onscreen, Obadiah was in his SUV, giving orders to someone via a phone call. "Set up Sector sixteen underneath the arc reactor, and I'm going to want this data masked. Recruit our top engineers. I want a prototype right away."_ **

“We’ve seen enough of this treacherous swine,” Diana stated coldly, her tone lowered into a dangerous hiss. “Move it forward, Oliver.”

The archer said nothing, simply picking the remote and fast-forwarding into the next scene, then rewinding when they realized that the had missed a few moments.

Meanwhile, Dinah, Clark and Bruce were in the middle of a furious, whispered argument:

“You’re upset, Bruce! Letting you go out now-”

“Do I look upset to you, Clark?” Batman replied, his tone so utterly emotionless that Dinah swore she’d heard even _Red Tornado_ sound more human. “I made a mistake; I got too invested in the movie-”

“That’s the point of a good movie, Bruce, to get immersed in it,” Dinah interjected. “Now we just need to get back in there, finish the movie and get some closure-”

“Do not, for a single moment, think you know what I need, either of you,” The Dark Knight rejoined harshly. “I appreciate your attempts to show concern, both of you, but what I _need_ is to clear my head.” When he noticed the agitation in both their eyes, the man nearly snarled. Whether he liked it or not, thanks to the secrets that had been revealed over the past five months, these two knew him far better than just about anyone; as such, he couldn’t simply brush them aside. Thus, he turned to stare at them. “I appreciate your concern, I really do, but I am fine.”

While Clark attempted another argument, Dinah stared into the Caped Crusader’s eyes for a moment before sighing. Clamping a hand onto Clark’s shoulder, she nodded at him. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

As the Dark Knight left, the blonde heroine found herself on the receiving end of a confused scowl, prompting her to sigh again. “He was closing himself off, Clark.”

“But… he was just-”

“Whatever he said was a lie,” She stated bluntly as she pushed him toward the Cave. “The worst thing we could have done would have been to keep him here. He’d have just bottled it all up until he left and something tells me _Stane_ ,” the man’s name couldn’t have been said with ore vitriol if it was hissed by a diamondback, “has only just begun to show how much of a traitorous bastard he is.” They walked back into the Cave where the atmosphere was now much less tense as an oblivious Tony said something or the other to a frowning Pepper. She was glad when Dick turned to her and gave just the barest inclination of his head: if she was reading the young boy correctly then Alfred had been given at least some form of a heads up.

Neither said a word more as they slipped into their respective seats and joined the watching.

**_“… It's probably under Executive Files. If not, they put it in a ghost drive, in which case you need to look for the lowest numeric heading."_ **

**_Pepper stared at the device in her hand and glanced at the suit Tony had hung up on a stand. "And what do you plan on doing with this information if I bring it back here?"_ **

**_"Same drill. They've been dealing under the table, and I'm going to stop them. I'm going to find my weapons and destroy them," Tony replied bluntly._ **

**_"Tony…” She broke off as she tried to find a way to put her thoughts into words. “You know that I would help you with anything, but I cannot help you if you're going to start all of this again."_ **

**_"There is_ ** **_ nothing _ ** **_except this.” Tony replied harshly, eyes bloodshot. “There’s no art opening, there is no benefit, there is nothing to sign. There is the next mission and nothing else."_ **

**_"Is that so? Well, then, I quit." Pepper told him and dropped the chip on the table, turned to walk out the door._ **

“First Rhodey and now Pepper?” Conner sighed before glancing around the room. “Okay, what am I missing here?”

“The guilt factor, kid. That’s what you’re missing,” Oliver noted with a grimace. “It’s making him act… maybe not _irrational_ but he’s definitely being reckless.”

“The guilt factor?” A confused Zatanna asked. “What does guilt have to do with anything?”

“And how is he acting recklessly?” M’gann added.

“Let’s see: he’s asking Pepper to go and retrieve vital information for him despite the fact that she has no self-defense training or even a single guard to keep a lookout for her; he isn’t even giving her digital cover, he’s basically sending her in blind,” Oliver listed. “He’s asking her to retrieve the information without giving her time to process his instructions, he’s just pouring them out and while I know that she may have become used to that, that’s no way to act when you’re essentially kick-starting a war. So tell me, do you think he’s being rational?”

“As for the guilt factor… Tony wasn’t ready to experience Gulmira in person,” Dinah continued, taking over the explanation. “It’s one thing to think ‘I’m going to put an end to people misusing my weapons’ it’s another thing entirely to come face to face with the destruction that his weapons were used for.”

“But… didn’t he notice it when he was abducted?” Wally asked. “I mean, he said something about seeing the destruction his weapons caused during the press statement.”

“Yes, but what did he see back then?” Diana countered gently. “Think of it: he was taken to the terrorists’ base; asked to make weapons for them. Can you compare that to him seeing those insurgents holding guns to the heads of innocent men and women as they tore families apart?” The young speedster looked away, knowing that the Amazon was right.

“The adrenaline is gone now, and the guilt is sinking in,” Oliver continued. “Tony’s the kind of guy that believes in taking action whenever he feels a problem coming and, while that’s not a bad stance to take sometimes-”

“Sometimes you need to think things through,” Dinah finished. “Even your emotions.”

Each member of the Team nodded, recalling how often the blonde heroine had helped them take a step back and work through whatever lingering emotions they struggled with.

They had thought little of it when they had started working together but now they fully understood what she meant and why she had taken the time to help them.

**_"You stood by my side all these years while I reaped the benefits of destruction. And now that I'm trying to protect the people that I put in harm's way, you're going to walk out?" Tony questioned._ **

**_"You're going to kill yourself, Tony. I'm not going to be a part of it."_ **

“Do you now understand what we were saying?” Diana asked, gesturing to the redhead onscreen. “She didn’t reject him because she doesn’t agree with him, she did so because his method of doing things was reckless and likely to get him killed and she saw that.”

**_"I shouldn't be alive, unless it was for a reason. I'm not crazy, Pepper. I just finally know what I have to do. And I know in my heart that it's right."_ **

**_Pepper froze for a few moments, playing back his last sentence before tuning back to him and reluctantly picking up the lock chip. "You're all I have too, you know."_ **

“As happy as I am that she is going to help Tony I cannot help but worry now,” Kaldur stated with a frown as the redhead left her boss’ workshop-slash-garage. “With everything that you have pointed out, I fear that he might be sending her into the belly of the beast as it were.”

“But… she’s going into Tony’s office right?” M’gann asked. “It should be out of bounds-”

“To anyone but Tony?” Dick laughed cynically. “Maybe but _Stane_ has been in charge for however long it has been since Tony’s return- no, since he _arranged for Tony’s death_. To the staff at Stark Industries, he’s such a recognized figure that no one would see anything wrong with him going in and out of the Boss’ office.”

“So you’re saying …”

The Bat’s protege nodded grimly to his girlfriend’s question. “Yeah, Tony’s recklessness just pushed Pepper into the line of fire.”

**_A quick scene change showed Pepper stepping out of an elevator on her way to Tony's office, nervously clutching to a bag that she had slung over her shoulder as her eyes darted around. To her relief, she made it into his office with no one seemingly catching on to her intentions._ **

**_Hastily making her way over to his desk, she pulled out the chip and plugged it in. Not even a second later, the computer beeped as the words 'WARNING! SECURITY BREACH' appeared on the monitor. Just before the panic could set in, the subroutines Tony had built into the chip hacked into the system and, after a green 'ACCESS GRANTED' screen, she was free to move._ **

**_Having often used her boss’ system to retrieve files (or set up multiple reminders for him), she was able to identify the newer folders and she focused her attention there, zipping through weapons design files until she came across one that caught her fancy. Opening it up, she was confronted with a far larger, more powerful looking suit of armor than what she had seen on Tony._ **

“Okay, that’s just not right,” Dick noted with a frown. “I mean, I could ignore how quickly the computer responded but having what looks like a _Monstrosity 2.0_ on that system? No, that’s not right at all.”

“What do you mean kid?” Hal asked.

“JARVIS,” Artemis noted with wide eyes. “When Tony was working on the _Mark II_ he told JARVIS to keep all the details on a private server. For there to be a copy- no, for there to be designs for an improved _Monstrosity_ on this computer means-”

“Stane hacked into Tony’s private server and has been working on designs of his own.”

Oliver’s conclusion reminded them yet again of the depths to which Tony’s former mentor had sunk.

**_Closing the armor design, Pepper scrolled through the files until she noticed a folder. "Sector sixteen? What are you up to, Obadiah?" She asked as she opened up a video file._ **

**_A window opened, showing a video of a group of men, most of whom had covered their faces and held guns surrounding a bound man with a duffel bag over his head. Another man, head covered like the rest, read from a sheet of paper in Urdu as another pulled the duffel bag off their captive's head to reveal a disheveled looking Tony._ **

**_Though the sight caught her off balance, Pepper retained enough presence of mind to feed the file through a translation command, converting the man’s words to English._ **

**_"You did not tell us that the target you paid us to kill was the great Tony Stark."_ **

“Son of a bitch.” Hal swore through clenched teeth. “Because killing him wasn’t enough, he wanted something for the trophy cabinet!”

**_"Oh my God." Pepper said in shock._ **

**_"...Your deception and lies will cost you dearly. The price to kill Tony Stark has just gone up." The masked reader declared._ **

**_Unable to stomach any more of that, Pepper closed the media player window and started copying all the files into the lock chip. She had barely begun when a familiar voice spoke from the doorway, ripping a surprised gasp from her._ **

**_"So... What are we going to do about this?"_ **

“Oh…”

“Fuck,” Dinah finished for Artemis as they watched Obadiah stroll into the room, headed for a wet bar in the corner.

“How the hell does he move around so quickly anyway?” Asked an annoyed Conner. “I mean, he goes from America to Pakistan in the same amount of time it takes Tony to get back from Gulmira and now he’s already back in the States?!”

“He’s the second in command of a very powerful technological company,” Oliver spat distastefully. “He probably has at least one supersonic plane in his personal hangar.”

Hal shook his head in disagreement. “That would be the public excuse; from everything we’ve seen in the past couple of minutes, I wouldn’t put it past him to stash an experimental craft in an underground bunker for precisely these kinds of journeys.” 

**_"I know what you're going through, Pepper.” Stane smiled as he poured himself a glass of bourbon. “Tony. He always gets the good stuff doesn't he?"_ **

“Anybody else think he isn’t talking about booze?” Artemis asked with a shudder of revulsion at the leery look in the man’s eyes. “Because he might as well be raping her with that look.”

“He’s getting drunk but not on the booze.” John stated, his narrowed eyes locked onto the man. “He’s getting closer and closer to his endgame and he knows it: he’s got the _Monstrosity,_ his terrorist partners are dead and he’s all but completely backed Tony out of his own company.”

“He’s power drunk.” Zatanna summarized, earning her a nod from the Green Lantern.

**_Pepper managed to laugh lightly at the older man’s words, though the leer in his eyes told her that he wasn’t talking about alcohol. The moment he turned away from her, she quickly took the opportunity to slide a conveniently positioned newspaper over the chip. She was just in time too as, not even a moment later, Obadiah ambled over toward her. Thinking quickly, she pulled up the screensaver just before he reached her and forced herself to remain calm as he stood beside her._ **

**_"I was so happy when he came home. It was like we got him back from the dead.” Obadiah said with a soft smile before shaking his head ruefully. “Now I realize, well, Tony never really did come home, did he? He left a part of himself in that cave. Breaks my heart."_ **

“Like you’ve got one of those left,” Conner snarled.

**_"Well, he's a complicated person. He's been through a lot.” Pepper noted, partly defending her boss, mostly hoping to get Obadiah to turn just the slightest bit away from her. “I think he'll be alright."_ **

**_"You are a very rare woman. Tony doesn't know how lucky he is."_ **

“His company, his tech, now his woman?” Diana asked incredulously. “Do you exist simply to desire what Tony has?”

**_"Thank you- Thanks." Pepper nearly winced at the nervousness she could hear in her own tone as she got up from her seat._ **

“Crap,” Clark muttered softly as the redhead moved. “She’s getting nervous.”

That single statement sent the tension in the room rocketing sky-high again.

They had all been through infiltration experiences before and one truth rang firm for such situations: a single stroke of nerves was often all it took to destroy all of one’s efforts.

**_With a deft bit of sleight of hand she grabbed the newspaper and slipped it into her arms, all while concealing the carefully removed lock chip. "I'd better get back there." She stated, trying to play off her nerves as nothing big as she moved toward the door._ **

**_"Is that today's paper?"_ **

“Shit, he noticed,” Artemis hissed quietly, her voice cutting through the tense silence of the Cave.

**_Pepper stopped just short of crossing the foyer with a grimace. "Yes."_ **

**_Obadiah approached her, hand outstretched. "Do you mind?"_ **

**_"Not at all." She smiled as she handed him the newspaper._ **

**_"Puzzle." He clarified, with a seemingly gentle smile._ **

“Bullshit,” Dick scowled angrily. “If he wanted it for the puzzle-”

“I think our take away from this should be the fact that Pepper’s still alive,” Wally stated, though his usually energetic tone was dulled by the anger he was barely holding back.

**_"Of course." She nodded before continuing out the door._ **

**_"Take care."_ **

**_She nodded again as walked away, nervously looking over her shoulder before looking down at the chip in her hand._ **

**_As soon as Pepper was out of sight Obadiah walked back to the desk, slamming the paper down on the table and turning on the monitor. The moment he saw the 'Download Complete' screen, he all but snarled as he shot an evil glare at the door. Taking a moment to compose himself, he marched determinedly out the door._ **

**_Meanwhile, a clearly flustered Pepper hastily made her way down the stairs, eyes raking over every corner and every person within sight. She all but cried in relief as she saw a somewhat familiar figure seated close to the landing._ **

“Okay, this guy has some seriously suspicious timing,” Zatanna frowned. “I mean, he just shows up _exactly_ when she needs backup?”

“Plot device,” Wally and Dick answered in sync. A shared glance and Dick backed off so Wally would continue the explanation. “First off, you’re right: his appearance _is_ sus-timed. However, that’s exactly the point of a plot device: they appear at the best-”

“Or worst,” Dick interjected, to which Wally nodded.

“-or worst time in order to push the plot forward. In most cases, the appearance of a plot device is typically not very well explained but some writers try to put in some sort of explanation to make it seem less… plot device- _y_.”

**_"Ms. Potts?” Agent Coulson asked, standing up politely as the lady appeared. “We had an appointment. Did you forget about our appointment?"_ **

“Like that.” The speedster noted.

Zatanna nodded, easily getting his point: thanks to the meeting during Tony’s ‘welcome back’ conference, it was already somewhat stated that the two would have a meeting. While the timing _was_ sus, it still did a good job of taking some of that suspicion away.

**_"Nope, right now. Come with me." Pepper instructed as she walked right past him, the man nearly stumbling in his efforts to keep up with her._ **

**_"Right now?"_ **

**_"We're going to have it right now. Walk with me."_ **

**_"Oh-Okay." Coulson said as they walked toward the exit._ **

**_Pepper threw a nervous glance back and, upon seeing Obadiah glaring down at them from the second floor walkway, she all but doubled her speed. "I'm going to give you the meeting of your life. Your office."_ **

“Plot device or not, I’m glad Agent Smiley was there when he was,” M’gann released a sigh of relief as the duo walked off-screen and Dinah paused the movie. “I can’t imagine how Tony would have felt if Stane got his hands on her.”

“Yeah, Baldy the Bad looked like he was out for blood back there,” Artemis agreed. “I’m actually slightly… bothered about what he’ll do now.”

“You’re _that_ interested in him?” Conner asked, sounding almost derisive.

Artemis’ tone hardened, “If I’ve learned anything about his type from my _father_ it’s that they don’t relent and when their perfectly laid out plans begin to wrinkle, they’re at their most dangerous.”

“Artemis is right,” Oliver added. “The worst time to deal with a criminal is when they begin to see their plans go up in smoke. They feel cornered, beaten and often vindictive; they’ll gladly tear the world apart if it means they can score some kind of point on their imaginary tally.”

“It seems we’re in the endgame now, then,” Dinah commented as many of the watchers stretched and adjusted into more comfortable positions. “Dick? Can I see you for a moment?”

Having a good guess what she wanted, the young man excused himself and walked out of the Cave with their Den Mother.

“How do you think he’s doing?” She asked without preamble the moment they were out of earshot of the Cave.

Dick ran a hand through his hair and let out an explosive sigh. “I… I don’t know. I mean I’ve never seen him look so…”

“Pissed off? Enraged?”

“Distraught.” Dick leaned on a wall then slid downward until he was popping a squat. “I’ve only seen him like that once.”

The blonde heroine stared at the former sidekick who had, in the past year, begun the journey to becoming his own hero and, for the umpteenth time, wondered what it must have been like to work with a figure like the Dark Knight in the psychotic madhouse that was Gotham. Popping a squat beside him, she asked, “What happened then?”

“We got a call from GCPD, something about a bug infestation in downtown Gotham. Didn’t take long to figure out that the Scarecrow had something to do with it.” He paused there and Dinah could tell that whatever had happened on that day had seriously affected him. “We got in, found him in some sort of rundown lab and took the fight to him. It was easy. _Too_ easy. Turns out he was never really there, just one of Black Mask’s idiot grunts who had been doped up on a ridiculous amount of chemical mixes to keep us busy while the vents released a constant dose of FT- Fear Toxins. By the time we realized it, we were already living our fears.” He stared his hands for a moment, drawing her attention there too and, for the first time, she noticed that his right wrist had a faint scar. Dinah’s eyes grew wide with shock as she immediately came to a conclusion about it however, before she could ask, he continued, “I’m not sure how we got out of it but I do remember that, for days after that, Bruce seemed… it was like he had hit a slump. It was like… no matter what I tried, I just couldn’t get through to him.”

“What happened after that?”

“I… I don’t know,” He shrugged helplessly. “There was a week-long field trip at school and when I came back, he was pretty much back to normal. I think it was Alfred, though; he’s always been there for Bruce and they’ve got some connection that’s just… far beyond anything I can think of.”

“Do you think… do you think letting him leave was the best decision?”

“How should I know?” Dick laughed mirthlessly before sighing and pushing himself up. “I just hope he runs into Alfred before he meets anyone else.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *- A throwback to Firestorm808’s Young Justice Watches Death Battle, upon which this is [very loosely] based. 
> 
> Here lies what could very well be the most polarizing chapter of this fic. In fact, according to our statistics (provided primarily by Mr. War) there has NEVER been a reaction-type fic that had a member of the watching cast leave before the end of the viewing.  
> That being said, though, here’s my opinion on why Bruce left:  
> For the first time in, pretty much ever, he got himself so immersed in something IN A PUBLIC SETTING that, when the twist was revealed, it seriously screwed with his somewhat fragile mind. What we’ve seen, to this point, hasn’t been ‘Batman, the Dark Knight of Gotham’ it has primarily been ‘billionaire genius Bruce Wayne’ and when the reveal hit, it struck ‘Bruce Wayne’ far harder than it would ‘Batman.’ That being said, the ‘Batman’ persona is as much a mask as it is a shield to Bruce, hence, when he was about to leave, the cowl was pulled up, to signify that ‘Batman’ was in the driver’s seat. ‘Batman’ is pretty much the gruff, emotionless terror of Gotham and, keeping up that persona means he isn’t going to try ‘sharing his emotions’ in public. As such, as far as Bruce/Batman’s character goes, leaving was the most in-character thing I could think of for him. That being said, we WILL get to see Bruce before the end of the fic. That much I can promise.
> 
> Let’s just hope that explanation is enough and I didn’t break our growing reviewer-ship with that move.
> 
> Thanks as usual to Lady Katana of the Blade and Mr War.
> 
> Fingers Crossed,  
> The Ethereal Lord

**Author's Note:**

> The title, ‘The Watchers’ is a sort of meta-joke: Marvel Comics has the Watchers, a race of beings that simply observe interactions on each planet. In this case, the YJ cast are literal ‘watchers.’ 
> 
> Also, Conner never actually seemed to want to kill anyone. Even Project Match seemed more programmed to destroy anything that bore the Crest of El than wanting to kill at random.
> 
> patreon.com/theethereallord 


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